King's Assassin
by faery-of-fiction
Summary: Tezuka's attempt to assassinate the king of Hyoutei didn't go as planned so now he is forced to work under him and do his bidding. (AU)
1. Tea for Two - Prologue

Originally written for the tenipuri-xpair exchange.

* * *

"If I spare your life will you still try to kill me?" Atobe asked as he looked into the cell that currently held Tezuka. It gave him a chance to better study the man he typically considered confident and stoic. Obviously the guards did not approve of someone trying to kill their king if the number of bruises on Tezuka's body was anything to go by. Atobe also thought that the man looked odd without his glasses and much more vulnerable.

Atobe frowned at the lack of answer and moved closer to the bars of the cell, "Answer me, Tezuka. Or I'll be forced to leave you with my guards again."

There was a long silent moment where the two stared at each other but eventually Tezuka looked away and spoke.

"I've been tasked by my clan to take your life. Failing to do so would shame them and my Gods. And if I returned home, they would most likely treat me as well as your guards."

"Ahn, you always were the honourable one." And while Atobe found that a respectable quality he thought it was horribly misplaced this time. "But won't that same honour mean that you would have to clear your debt with me before you could kill me?"

He could see Tezuka considering the words and he gave a small nod. "It would be unwise to trust me. And your guards would be fools to let you go through with it."

"I'm the ruler here. They will bend to my command or find themselves manning the outpost that overlooks the territory of Yamabuki."

"Why would you do this? We aren't that good of friends and there is a chance I could save you from a stumble down the steps and consider the debt paid before stabbing you in your bath that same day."

It was a logical argument but sometimes Atobe forwent logic and followed his instincts instead. "I doubt your honour is that shallow. If it were, you would have accepted my conditions in the first place. Besides, while we may not have been close friends you did make an impression on me and I want to see if you're really as talented and smart as I remember."

"My talent and intelligence can't be that great since I'm currently sitting in your prisons."

"A minor setback. And one I like to credit to my own great merits. But as you managed to sneak past all of my guards and into my chambers without even me being aware of it. I would hazard to say that you would have succeeded quite well in your task if you hadn't hesitated over me. Am I your first assassination, Tezuka?"

"No," Tezuka answered simply.

"Then why hesitate?"

"I don't know."

Atobe suspected that Tezuka did know but also wasn't willing to share it. Atobe hoped the hesitation stemmed from Tezuka feeling some sort of connection to him and not because he had some distaste for his currently chosen heir. It was a hope and an assumption that Atobe was gambling on. If he was wrong, he really could end up dead in his bath before long.

"Will you serve me?" Atobe asked. There would be time to sort out motivations later. But right now time wasn't on their side. If he wanted to make his plan worked, they had to get Tezuka out of the prison before more people heard about this misadventure and saw the man behind it.

"Do I have a choice?"

"You always have a choice, Tezuka. Serve me to pay off your debts, or die to pay for your crimes."

Tezuka gave a dry hollow snort of a laugh and shook his head. It was a sound that Atobe had never heard from him and hoped to never hear again. "That's not much of a choice," Tezuka said sounding defeated. "I'll serve you Atobe. Until my debts are paid in full."

"Then I best make sure to keep you well and truly in my debt." Atobe looked over to the guard and nodded at him to open the door.

"But your majesty, he tried to kill you," The guard said in protest.

"Yes. And now he swears to protect me, don't you Tezuka?" Atobe asked as he looked at the other, making sure to catch his eye.

"On my life," Tezuka said steadily, his gaze not wavering from Atobe's.

"See. We're all perfectly safe. Now let him out. I want him brought to the quarters next to mine and suitably cleaned up. Call in Oshitari for help." His advisor would be best suited to make sure that Tezuka was presentable.

"Y-yes your majesty." He moved to unlock the door of the prison and to follow through with Atobe's orders.

"Kabaji, see that it's done. And make sure there aren't anymore bruises." His childhood friend and head of his personal guard stepped out of the shadows where he had been waiting and after a small bow moved to assist with Tezuka.

Atobe gave them one last look before leaving and making his long way back up to his own quarters and to have a word with the other guards who were witness to this scene. It was time they knew what he was concocting and they were made aware of Tezuka's new role and the story around it.


	2. Tea for Two - Chapter One

There were some oversights in his plan, the first being the still early hour of the morning and that Oshitari would first have to be awoken and dressed before he could be properly summoned everywhere and then he of course had to come find him for the full story before getting to work. Because some days being king was apparently not enough of a reason.

But finally Oshitari was finished and Tezuka was being presented to him properly. He smiled at what he saw and appreciated that whatever Oshitari had done had masked all of the damage done by his guards but for a scratch on Tezuka's cheek. "Tezuka, you're looking much better now."

Tezuka just gave a nod in return for the compliment. They would have to work on his manners if his plan was to be a success. And perhaps a visit with his tailor. Oshitari and Tezuka were of a similar size but the current trend was for well cut jackets and Oshitari's just did not sit as precisely as Atobe would like. Still, there would be plenty of time for that later if all went well.

"You will be pleased to know that the assailant who tried to murder me last night is being executed at first light after a confession of his ill deeds."

That got a reaction out of Tezuka and he saw his eyes widen slightly as he looked at him. He then saw the mind behind those eyes working as he thought about the implications. "Surely you do not mean to kill an innocent in my stead."

"Of course not. There is horrible criminal rotting away in the jails and the physicians have told me he will not last the week from an infection he has picked up. We will put him out of his misery just a few days earlier than expected is all." Atobe would not mourn the loss of such a man and he did not think anyone in the kingdom would either. It would also help people move past the rumours of the assassination attempt as Atobe was sure that despite swearing everyone present to secrecy that such news would still escape somehow. But with the assassin dispatched there would be less worry of them connecting the person to Tezuka. Though the timing would have to be better.

"As for you… " He circled him again and then looked at Oshitari. "Oshitari, is your family still in residence in their town house or have they returned to their country estate?"

"They're at the estate now, my king," Oshitari said blandly. Surely he had already picked up what the request would be.

"Good. We need to sneak Tezuka out of the castle and to your residence for a week or so while this assassination news dies down. Perhaps you could attempt to educate him on more recent matters of the state and social dynamics at court so he will be ready for his new role."

"Which is?" Oshitari asked, not yet privy to that part of the plan.

"To be my personal advisor of course."

"What?" Oshitari said at the same time that Tezuka said, "Excuse me?"

Atobe smiled at them both. "How else will you repay your debt and protect me from foes if you are not always by my side?" Atobe asked to Tezuka. "And if I make up the title of personal advisor and have him always near, people will just assume he is some lover or such thing and think little else about it." While it was expected that he would marry and produce numerous heirs, Hyoutei kingdom was liberal enough to allow their King a another year or two of freedom and dalliances with who he pleased.

"I am not posing as your lover," Tezuka said.

"I really don't see how you have any choice in this. Unless you wish to take the place of the substitute I found for you at the execution block."

Tezuka crossed his arms and glared but said nothing else.

"Don't worry, Tezuka. Just because the court will think of you as such does not mean you will have to do much to play the part. The court will gossip about anything and everything. Which can be used to our advantage as much as against us if we aren't careful," Oshitari reassured and gave him a pat on the arm.

"I'm sure you can teach him all about the ways of the court over the next few weeks until I summon him to it." Atobe didn't particularly like the idea of sending Tezuka away to be mostly unsupervised where he could escape but he was counting on the man's stubborn sense of honour to keep him there and loyal to his vow.

"He'll know everything he needs to for his new role," Oshitari reassured and gave a small bow.

Atobe gave a nod at that and then considered the window and the rapidly approaching sunrise. "Now, we must get you out of the palace. I don't think my guard will tolerate me showing you the secret passages so we must think of a different way."

"Would it matter if I said I already know about the passages?" Tezuka asked.

Atobe and Oshtiari both gave him a startled look. "How? They are a top class secret. Even I only know how to access a handful of minor ones."

"When I stayed here as a child." Was the only explanation that Tezuka gave. But Atobe decided that that made enough sense. If his family was indeed part of the assassin clan then they would have had months to learn all about the secrets of the castle and to teach it to their son who stayed on for about a year as a page boy to learn courtly manners and hierarchy structures. And if Atobe thought about it, which he didn't really want to, the assassin clan probably knew all of the secrets of the palace and of the whole city. It would increase their effectiveness and only a fool of an assassin leader would miss the chance to send their builders or architects over to work on the palace when it was first being made or whenever it was remodelled. He vaguely wondered if posting more guards in certain areas of the tunnel system would help him sleep better at night after such a thought.

But right now, he had to answer Tezuka's earlier question. One he imagined that was only asked because the other did not fancy being stuffed into a trunk and treated like Oshitari's spare luggage.

"I think you knowing about them already would cause the head of my guard to worry even more. We best stick to other options," Atobe said.

"I have a large trunk," Oshitari offered which earned a sigh from Tezuka.

"If you will trust me to meet you at your home, I can make my own way."

"How?" Atobe asked.

Tezuka looked out the window at the sun and then back at Atobe. "The castle staff is only just waking and they'll be busy with morning chores. One more member of the staff running around attending to things would go unnoticed, especially as many visiting guests bring their own maids and butlers with them…" Tezuka trailed off, either not used to speaking so much or because he thought that rest of his plan would be evident. Atobe supposed it was. It would be easy enough to walk out of the castle mostly unnoticed or at least without a second glance and then he had no doubt of Tezuka's skills to sneak out from there.

"Fine. Make your own way. Do you know where Oshitari lives?" Atobe asked.

"Of course. I visited once when I was ten," Tezuka said.

Atobe looked over at Oshitari. "Ah, I remember. We had a small tea party for those my own age before the big birthday celebration later that evening," Oshitari explained. "But are you sure you still remember the way."

Tezuka gave him a look that clearly was unimpressed and then nodded. "I will be waiting for you there," He said. And then without so much of a bow or goodbye he left the room, clearly not bothered that Kabaji lurking in the shadows by the door or any of the guards posted in the anteroom might stop him.

"We really must work on his manners before he's presented at court again," Oshitari said.

"Yes. Though I'm not sure that will be a problem. His manners were always impeccable in public when he was here as a child," Atobe said.

"And clearly he's much better at deception than any of us knew… Atobe, are you sure this is wise?" Oshitari asked.

"No. But my instincts are rarely wrong and this time they are saying to trust this idea and that it will pay off," Atobe said. He then walked over to his desk by the window and picked up some papers he had been working on earlier while waiting for Tezuka and Oshitari to arrive. "He'll need his own wardrobe and some means of his own to help make our plan believable…" What he was giving was probably a little generous and he would have to work to cover it up so the missing funds would not be so easily noticed but it would not do to do this by halves.

"Yes, my king. I'll see him fully prepared for his return," Oshitari said taking the papers and not commenting on the amounts. Clearly he was willing to accept Atobe's feelings on this even if he did not fully approve.

"You should go back to bed and be late for breakfast as usual… we do not wish to draw extra suspicion and I would like the assassin and execution story kept as quiet as possible." It would get out but it was best to not stoke the flames as he did not want increased security or the court worrying about his safety or the security of the throne.

"Of course. And perhaps after breakfast you could arrange some time for yourself to rest. Your guards told me that you haven't been to bed since the attack."

Atobe had no doubt who it was that old Oshitari that, his friend worried about him and Kabaji knew that Atobe would not reprimand him for sharing such information with Oshitari. "I will try… but I'm afraid slumber may not come easily for me."

"All the better to do it during the day then while you may feel the safest."

"I'll try…" Atobe said again and then waved Oshitari off. The other man bowed beautifully before leaving to probably return to his rooms.

He had no idea how long it would take Tezuka to get to Oshitari's house or how long he would be willing to wait but he was sure that his plan would work out no matter and that he would not take the chance to run off.

Just a few weeks and he would have Tezuka by his side… working for him and not trying to kill him… There was much to do before then but first a visit to the executioners was beckoning. He adjusted the small crown he wore for everyday matters and fixed his face into one of haughty displeasure and went to leave his rooms. 

-0-0-0-0-0-

Tezuka was sitting in the library of Oshitari's town house in the new clothes that Atobe had bought for him when Oshitari came in. "Oshitari," Tezuka said in greeting with a small nod of his head.

"The king is coming to see you," Oshitari said instead of his usual greetings.

Tezuka put down his book and considered the other. This was not the first time that Atobe had visited him but it was the first time that Oshitari had ever looked quite like that and used such a formal greeting for it. "Has he changed his mind about my fate?" Tezuka asked. While waiting at Oshitari's residence for something to happen had not been the most exciting three weeks of his life it had given him time to warm up to the idea of staying alive and leaving Atobe alive long enough to repay his debts to him.

He had complicated feelings when it came to Atobe and he found this arrangement would allow him to work through them before he would have to make a choice.

"Only so much that I have a different job for you now," Atobe said as he strode through the doors of the library.

"My king," Oshitari said with a small bow as Atobe entered. Tezuka however didn't leave his seat. He knew Atobe as a friend from when they were younger and now he was forced to work for him. Either way, he did not see Atobe as his king and planned to only treat him as such when in the public's eye. It would not do to undermine Atobe's authority or have people question him too much. However, Oshitari hardly counted as the public.

He also didn't ask what the job was. If Atobe had shown up unannounced then it was important enough for the king to skip his showmanship and go right into details without waiting.

"I have a task for you and must know if it is something you are able to do. If not, we will have to go back to the planning stages."

"The task?" Tezuka asked now. He could neither say yes or no if he didn't know what it entailed. While he had faith in his skills even some things were outside of his reach.

"You must assassinate the King of Seigaku and make it look as if it were from natural causes or an accident. There can be no questioning of the cause," Atobe said before he started to pace the library slightly. Oshitari wisely stepped back so his feet would not be tread on.

Tezuka blinked at the task. He knew that there were tensions between Seigaku and neighbouring countries but he had not realized it had escalated to this level.

"What has he done?"

"As you know he's always been a womanizing mongrel but recently he seems bored by the bedroom and has been building up armies and starting skirmishes along his borders. We don't think it will be long before he's ready to launch a full on war. We don't know where he will aim his forces and we'd rather risk not finding out."

"So you will have the man murdered?" Tezuka asked. He had no qualms with doing it, not after being raised to be an assassin but he did not think it wise for a king to so easily desire to dispatch another monarch.

"It's the best way we can come up with. He turned away our latest emissary and seems intent on cutting the kingdom off from its neighbours. We cannot risk a war."

"He has sons. WHat if they take up his quest for domination?"

"He has one recognized son who is still under the age of majority and would need a regent to rule in his place. And as I'm sure you know, regencies tend to cause all sorts of chaos and plotting that will keep any country too busy internally to start wars. Especially when that country has an older bastard son who is quite popular in court."

Tezuka nodded at the information but then wondered how much Atobe knew about the kingdom. "Despite some growing pains between the siblings, the two do remain quite close. I doubt the kingdom will be as divided as you hope."

Atobe stopped his pacing and turned his blue-eyed focus onto Tezuka. "Then you've spent time in the kingdom." It was more a statement than a question.

"I have."

"And how close are you with the royal family there?" Atobe asked, a trace of bitterness in his tone that was not fully covered by his usual airy loftiness.

"I am known to court but did not spend as much time there as here. But I think I will still be able to do what you ask of me," Tezuka said. He only added the first part on partly because it was true but mostly because he did not wish some misplaced jealousy to cloud the king's judgement.

"And you will not be at risk of being found out?"

Tezuka considered the various ways in which one could kill a king while at court without ending up in prison shortly after. The possible ways reduced drastically when the death had to look accidental or natural but Tezuka had a method he thought would work. "Yes."

"And that is? We should be informed in case we need to prepare for anything on this end," Oshitari asked. Tezuka had a feeling that the other man was not 100% supportive of this idea and Tezuka could not blame him for the distrust. If he was not bound by honour, he could easily vanish into the night or worse, tell King Nanjirou of Hyoutei's plan to assassinate him.

"If I tell you, you will be even more of a co-conspirator than you are now," Tezuka warned. He did not think that Oshitari was the type to be comfortable with murder even for a good cause.

Tezuka waited while Atobe and Oshitari exchanged looks and small gestures before Oshitari looked back at him. "Do it."

Tezuka gestured to the other chairs in the library and waited for them to sit before leaning forward to speak in a quiet voice. It was extremely careless to share his plans with other people but he knew that if he didn't he would not be allowed to act and so tried to limit the chances of being overheard. "I'll use tea."

"Tea?" Atobe asked, trying and failing to imagine how that would be a useful weapon.

Tezuka just gave him a bland look until Atobe's mind had a moment to catch up and think of all the possibilities tea could have.

"You intend to poison him? Surely that would look suspicious," Atobe said clearly thinking through various possibilities.

"And how would you get the poison into his tea?" Oshitari asked thinking of the logistics.

"There are two possibilities. I can either make a gift of it or find out where his personal tea supply is stocked and sneak in to dose the correct one. The latter is more risky but has less connections to myself."

They both nodded at that but it was clear that Atobe was still waiting for the answer of his own question. And Tezuka knew it would not be wise to leave the King waiting. Not because he was the sovereign of Hyoutei but because he was an Atobe and he knew what his old friend could do when impatient.

"It will be a specialized poison. But it is slow acting. If timed correctly, it will take the king while he slumbers and he'll pass peacefully. It will look like natural causes to even the most distinguished doctors."

"That will assuage immediate suspicions but what if there is still doubt and they say he was poisoned?" Atobe asked.

"My plan, as it stands with so little information available to me. Is to offer myself as Echizen Ryoma's tutor in short swords and archery. I have a reputation for the two in Seigaku. And as with every parent, the king will eventually want a word with the tutor to see what his coin is buying and how his son is progressing. We speak, the guards see us both ingest tea and only the king is found dead. Nobody will suspect the tea," Tezuka explained more thoroughly than he would like to have.

Oshitari nodded along with his words and then paused, "Your mind is terrifyingly brilliant at planning assassinations, Tezuka."

"Perhaps but there are still a lot of variables to overcome. And many things sound like they're left to chance. How do you plan to survive the poison for starters?"

"I will have the anti-toxin and will be ready to ingest at my first private moment. I'll have several hours to do so though the earlier the better. Some side effects will be unpleasant the longer I wait and I will have to appear unaffected the next day." Tezuka didn't see finding a private moment to take the anti-toxin being a problem. He could easily ingest it once he left the king's and the king's guards' presence.

"You're sure things will go as you plan?" Atobe asked.

"I will do my utmost to make sure it does. I will have counter measures and back-up plans prepared just in case it does not."

"That's reasonable. But how long do you think it will take?"

"As long as it needs to. I also will not want to rush to kill the king until a little more trust and confidence has been built up in me. Is there a time limit you're worried about?"

"None at the moment. Just wondering."

"I will come back, Atobe."

"I know. Your honour demands it, one way or the other."

Tezuka nodded, glad that Atobe understood. "If that's all, I should prepare. There are some arrangements I will need to make before I leave."

"And when will you leave?" This time it was Oshitari who asked.

"Hopefully by the end of the week if all goes well. If not, I will have to wait another week until the next mail vessel."

"Then I shall leave you to your work. Please keep us informed if you can."

Tezuka gave Atobe a nod and then noticed that the King had not yet made a move to leave. He tilted his head, waiting for him to say what he wanted.

"And be careful. It would be unfortunate to lose such a valuable asset before I could properly debut it."

Tezuka felt that wasn't exactly what the other had meant to say but gave a nod to it anyway. "Of course. Please be safe as well, Atobe. It would not do to have you die when I cannot save you."

"Of course. I have plenty of greatness left to share with my kingdom and the world." Atobe gave a pose and Tezuka gave a polite nod instead of snorting or saying something unbecoming.

"I'll be back shortly and we can discuss what you need," Oshitari said before leading Atobe out of the library and likely to the lobby where they would have their own conversation before leaving.

Tezuka didn't mind. He was used to that routine by now. He knew that Oshitari wanted to like him, or perhaps was annoyed that he did like him. But liking wasn't the same as trusting and Tezuka knew he had not earned that back yet and likely wouldn't. But that was fine. He wasn't sure he'd be trusting in the same position either. After all, he had sworn to his gods to take Atobe's life.

But right now his task wasn't to assassinate Atobe but to take the life of Echizen Nanjirou.


	3. Tea for Two - Chapter Two

Atobe collapsed onto the ornate chair of his office after seeing out the elderly council member who had wanted to talk to him about sheep production. Sheep! Yes, he understood the importances of it all, how could he not after listening to the man drone on about it for hours at a time for years on end but that did not make him any more amenable to said droning. Especially not now when his thoughts were far off beyond the borders of his kingdom.

He looked up as Oshitari moved into the room and tried not to look too excited at the letter he carried in his hands.

Oshitari noticed his stare however and held up the envelope. "It's not what you think."

"Then what is it?" Atobe asked.

"Lord Sakaki is hosting a concert and has sent you an invitation."

"Then why is not with the rest of the missives?" Atobe asked wondering just why Oshitari felt the need to hand deliver this one.

"Because you have been neglecting those missives quite a bit in the last week. And it would be unwise to rebuke Lord Sakaki. He has been a great benefactor to you and has a lot of influence over the other higher ranking nobility."

Atobe nodded. It was all true. And in normal circumstances he was always quite fond of attending Sakaki's concerts. He had a way of finding the best talent and recruiting them to perform at his events. "Fine. I'll attend. I'll leave it to you to find me an appropriate date."

Oshitari enjoyed keeping up with the gossip and love lives of all who inhabited the castle… or perhaps the whole kingdom. He would trust his friend, as he often did, to find him a date that would be suitable to his rank without the fear of marriage rumours being bantered about. He was not quite ready to take that step in his kingly duties just yet after all.

"Anything else?" Atobe asked as Oshitari nodded and looked about ready to start suggesting beautiful young ladies to escort.

"Nothing of note."

"It's been three weeks. Why have we not heard news yet?" Atobe asked, finally revealing just what had really been on his mind this past week. But by the look on Oshitari's face, he had known all along anyway.

"The journey alone will have taken him over a week. And then any news will need to take nearly that long to get back to us. I feel that we are moving on track. At this point. No news is good news."

Atobe knew all this. It was logical and truthful and so damned infuriating. He wanted instant updates on what was happening and he wanted to ensure that everything was going smoothly. Perhaps he would set his inventors on the task of developing better communication methods… though it would cost money to fund the project and whatever they came up with and that would mean a meeting with the royal accountants who were even more dreadful to listen to than his other advisors. Which Atobe couldn't understand since the kingdom was prosperous with a well stocked treasury.

Being a King certainly had challenges that he hadn't foreseen completely as a prince. But he wasn't afraid of challenges or hard work. It would just make everything he accomplished that much sweeter in the end.

He looked at his schedule for the day and considered a meeting with the inventors just to float the idea by them and then looked up at Oshitari. "Keep me appraised of anything that we may hear from that region."

"Of course, your majesty," Oshitari said and then left with a bow. 

-0-0-0-0-

Tezuka sat in the royal library sipping a cup of tea and reading a book on the history of Seigaku. So far things had gone better than expected. It took a few days but he was granted an audience with Echizen Ryoma's head tutor and queried about a job and was worryingly given one on the spot. After spending a morning with the young prince he could understand why. He was headstrong and cocky with only the basic of respect shown to his elders.

He should have expected such a display from a young prince, he had after all known Atobe when he was young and impertinent but it did mean his patience would be tried more than he expected if he hadn't done something about it.

So after the young prince had insisted that he knew the best form and moves with the rapier, Tezuka had challenged him to a friendly duel. He would not have any respect from the prince until he earned it. And since it seemed that Echizen was too young to remember that Tezuka had won the King's cup in the rapier and archery divisions that he would have to demonstrate his skill to the man.

Tezuka had wanted to see what the other was capable of in a proper match and not just practice bouts against his peers. So he had taken the defensive position making Echizen attack. He was impressed with what he saw in one so young but there were openings and flaws and when Tezuka decided to end the match he was easily able to do so.

He won five matches in a row before declaring the contest over. Echizen had been upset with him but he knew the young man was impressed too. The boys' peers and protectors were less so but they seemed to have warmed up to him in the last two weeks as Echizen began to diligently study under him during his lessons.

He was mostly just thankful he did not need to teach the prince in his academic lessons. From what he heard from the other tutors he was no easier to handle there and unlike him, they were not free to beat him into the ground.

As he flipped a page, Tezuka wondered what would become of the prince once his father was gone. He was too young to take the throne and any regent would have a tough time of handling the stubborn prince.

Tezuka liked to think that Echizen would make it to throne. Somehow his peers and protectors seemed genuinely fond of him despite his character flaws and from the little he had seen of Echizen Ryoga at court, he was fond of his little brother and seemed to hold no ambition past his current station.

Flipping another page, Tezuka looked out the window over the extensive grounds where the two brothers were currently riding horses under the watchful eyes of the Prince's guard.

"You seem deep in thought, Sir Tezuka," A soft voice said causing Tezuka to look away from the window.

"Lord Fuji," He greeted with a nod. "And no more in thought than any other occupant in the library."

"Perhaps…" Fuji said before moving close to him and looking out the window. "Keeping an eye on your new ward?"

"Only slightly. I know it is not much spoken of but he seems close to his elder brother." Talking about the King's bastard, even a favoured one who had been given a title was not always the safest topic. But Fuji was an acquaintance from previous visits and part of Ryoma's attendants. It would be wise to make conversation with him and perhaps get a little information if possible.

"He is someone the prince respects and the elder has never been one to conform to rules or expectations. The king is lucky in that way. Other kingdoms have been torn apart by half-siblings," Fuji said.

Tezuka gave a nod at that, having already come to that conclusion even before he had left Hyoutei.

"Perhaps I should invite him to training one day. He might help motivate prince Echizen to push himself further."

Fuji smiled at that as if he knew an amusing secret. At least it seemed he was willing to share this time. "Ah, that may be unwise. They may be fond of each other but they are also competitive at heart."

"I'm sure archery would be safe enough. Only the targets would take any punishment from it that way."

"Smart as always, Sir Tezuka."

"As the prince's tutor it is my duty to think things through cautiously."

"Of course. Well, I shall leave you with your thoughts. I must go remind the prince he is to greet the ambassador from the province of Saint Rudolph shortly."

Tezuka gave a nod at that and then turned back to his book. He felt Fuji watch him for a while before the other turned to leave the room. He would have to be careful of the prince's entourage, especially of Fuji. But he was still sure of his plans and if they were focused on how he was treating Echizen they would not be looking for him to do anything to the king.

Giving the window one last glance he tried focused once more on his book about Echizen's ancestors and their heroic and not so heroic deeds and not on his mission or the young king of Hyoutei and the library visits they had shared at Oshitari's. There would be time enough for all of that. 

-0-0-0-0-0-

It was nearly three more months until a messenger came as Atobe was sitting down for a casual lunch with some of his attendants and friends.

He barely gave the man much thought, he got messages all the time though it was weird that this one was given priority to reach him when he was taking a private lunch. Then he looked closer at the messenger and the bag he was holding.

Oh.

That was the coat of arms of the kingdom of Seigaku. He held out his hand somewhat eagerly for whatever news there was from the region. Good or bad, he had to know now.

"Someone's eager for mail," Shishido teased from down the table.

"Perhaps it's a love letter," Oshitari said causing a couple of their friends to laugh and some to make disinterested noises.

"It's an official letter from Seigaku," Atobe corrected as he opened the heavy wax seal on it. He waved the messenger off at the same time. He would not be sending an immediate return no matter the contents.

Oshitari knew what this could mean and sobered up quickly from his teasing. The others along the table followed suit until Atobe was reading in silence and hoping his heart pounding was not as audible as he felt.

"And?" Oshitari asked after Atobe had read the letter twice.

"Their king is dead," Atobe said simply. He turned to look at Oshitari and their eyes met and he gave a nod. The letter said it was from natural causes and while that could be just procedural he liked to believe it was real and that Tezuka had succeeded completely in his task.


	4. Tea for Two - Chapter Three

With the king dead, Tezuka was eager to return to Hyoutei, something he was a bit surprised to realize. But it would look suspicious if he left too soon and he had to help Echizen with the transition as best he could along with all his other tutors, attendants and guards. And because he played attendant to the future king, he could not find the time nor the safe means in which to communicate information to Oshitari or Atobe.

Though as the days ticked by and a grand funeral was held and debates about regency raged on, Tezuka knew that news of King Echizen's passing would have reached Atobe by now and wondered how many days Atobe could wait after that letter before growing impatient and questioning if he had put too much faith in Tezuka's honour.

He looked away from his book and out the window across the mountains that bordered the country on this side. He was meant to be packing but he honestly didn't have much to worry about and he found himself drawn more to the library instead of his own rooms.

He heard the shuffling of movement behind him and turned in time to see Echizen entering behind some of his guards. He stood and gave a small bow. As they weren't training at the moment, Echizen was not his pupil but his monarch. "Your highness," He said.

Echizen gave a nod and then gracelessly flopped onto a chair across from the one that Tezuka was in. He then waved back his guards. "You're leaving?"

"I am."

"When?" Echizen asked not looking pleased with this.

'I'm afraid I will leave tomorrow morning."

"Why?"

For some reason, Tezuka had not been expecting Echizen to care much that his newest tutor was leaving at least not with everything else going on. But Echizen was fairly tenacious and had seemed determined to improve enough to defeat him. Perhaps it was royal pride at stake. "You don't have time to spend on frivolous activities right now. You have important things to learn about running the kingdom and protocol for numerous situations. It's important that you become the pillar of society. So I'm afraid my services will no longer be required. At least not for a while."

"Where will you go?"

"I have a friend in Rikkai I may visit. Or I may head east toward Hyoutei and explore more of that region."

Echizen nodded. There was no reason for the prince to see both options as anything but good choices filled with opportunities for a minor noble and swordsman tutor. "Will you come back?"

"It's possible. It will of course depend on my future employment but I do enjoy the tournaments you hold here," Tezuka said politely. If he took up the position Atobe wanted him to, it was likely the news would get back to Echizen and it was best now to leave hints that it was more him taking advantage of opportunities than returning to a previously offered position. He wanted no suspicions ever being laid upon him or Hyoutei.

"I see… Well, I expect you to write so I know where to send your invitation to the tournament," Echizen said as he stood back up.

Tezuka once more went to his feet and gave a small bow. "Of course, your highness."

"Good. And you better keep practicing. I don't want to defeat you just because you've gotten lazy."

Tezuka just gave a nod at that and waited for the prince and his entourage to leave before sitting once more. It was odd that he would miss this place and the people in it despite coming here with the sole purpose of deceiving them and to kill their king. He doubted Oshitari would understand such sentiment but he felt that perhaps Atobe would. A king had a lot in common with an assassin in some ways… They held the life of people in their hands and were expected to give everyone a warm and respectful welcome while being able to remain detached and separate. And above all, friendship did not meant that that person was above the repercussions of the whims of kings and destiny.

He picked up his book but didn't bother opening it as he chose to take in the view again. If friendship should not save someone from the law, why was he still alive? Atobe was not a fool to trust so easily and he couldn't have known then that the King of Seigaku would need handling discreetly. So what was it that made the king decide to spare an old acquaintance who had lied to him and tried to kill him?

It was something he had pondered while at Oshitari's and a question he had danced around when Atobe had visited him but no answer had made complete sense yet.

-0-0-0-0-0-

"Sir, your guest has returned," The butler said as Oshitari returned from a day of work at the palace. Technically, he should have been living at the palace as a full time attendant to Atobe. And while he had his own rooms and often made use of them, since word of Echizen's death, Oshitari had made it a point to return home each night to see if the errant assassin had returned.

Oshitari didn't know how to feel about the situation. He would not judge Atobe for dispatching a fellow monarch or the subterfuge and he would try not to judge Tezuka for having the skills to do such a thing. But it was hard to not hold trying to kill Atobe against Tezuka. Trust did not rebuild that quickly especially when Tezuka was sworn to kill Atobe after repaying his debt.

But then, Oshitari remembered how Atobe and Tezuka were when they were younger and Tezuka was visiting. And he could recall even more clearly how Atobe reacted around Tezuka now. His monarch was smitten by Tezuka and Oshitari liked to think that Tezuka felt something, too. Why else would Tezuka refrain from finishing what he started when he set out to assassinate Atobe?

And if Tezuka felt nothing, would he really return to Oshitari's? He hardly needed the inside advantage to get to Atobe if he considered the debt repaid.

Deciding that he wouldn't figure out anything in the hallway, he thanked his butler and headed toward the library. For some reason, it was a favourite of Tezuka's and was a safe place to start.

"Lord Oshitari," Tezuka said giving him a nod as he entered though he did no more than that and his eyes were soon focused on his book again.

"Tezuka," Oshitari returned. He moved further into the room and took a seat across from him. "I expect your journey was safe."

"Of course."

"And you're hear to fulfill your end of the bargain with the King?"

"I am," Tezuka said.

"So you do not consider your recent assignment as debts being paid?"

Tezuka actually looked up from his book at Oshitari and considered him a moment. "It would be quite a stretch to see the late King Echizen as a direct threat to Atobe's safety."

"Good," Oshitari said, a smile forming on his face. "Then we have a lot of work to do before we re-introduce you to court as Atobe's advisor. He'll want you there by the end of the week. And I for one will welcome it. He's been rather intolerable lately."

"Has he?" Tezuka asked.

"Yes. He gets that way when he's been working too hard and not sleeping well." Oshitari did not mention that the latter was mostly caused by Atobe wanting to hear news about Tezuka and worried about what was taking so long for him to return.

"Ah… perhaps I can help with that."

"Really?" Oshitari didn't know what surprised him more. That Tezuka wanted to actually help Atobe and not just serve him to repay the debt or that Tezuka had the barest hint of a teasing smile on his face.

"Why don't we have some tea and discuss things," Tezuka said.

And Oshitari figured that while he may not fully trust Tezuka, for the moment he had no reason to distrust him and went to ask the staff for tea. Even if it was only temporary, it was good to have an ally when it came to getting Atobe to relax. And if it turned more than temporary, then Oshitari would be even more pleased for his king. 

-0-0-0-0-0-

"How are you settling in to your new role?" Atobe asked as he slipped a robe on as he exited his changing room and closet to his main room. Tezuka had been serving as his advisor for a week now and seemed to be fitting into the role well enough. But it was hard to keep track of everything that happened in the palace and he wanted to make sure that nothing too dire was being tossed Tezuka's way.

"Quite well, thank you. Though it may be because everyone is still getting over the shock," Tezuka said. He sat fully dressed at the small table that Atobe sometimes ate or did work at.

"True. But it's good to keep everyone on their toes."

Tezuka just nodded to that and then poured them both tea. "It's an herbal blend. It should help you relax before bed," Tezuka said.

Atobe nodded at that thinking a nice hot tea and quiet conversation before bed sounded quite pleasant. The shock of Tezuka's appointment hadn't stopped everyone from complaining about it and there was always plenty to keep his mind occupied with before bed.

Tezuka took a sip of his tea and then looked over at the clock. "It's gotten late. I shouldn't keep you."

Atobe glanced at the clock too and while the hour was getting late, it was not so bad that he couldn't enjoy Tezuka's company for a moment. "Oh? I'm sure I can manage a while longer."

"Perhaps. But I have a lot of files to review before tomorrow. I would like to look somewhat credible in my role."

Atobe chuckled at that. How very like Tezuka to want to do his best, even if it was a role he had no desire to fill. "Of course." He picked up his own cup and was about to take a sip when he remembered Tezuka telling him how he would dispose of the King of Seigaku. Poisoned tea. Tea he could drink because he had the antidote.

Did Tezuka consider his debts repaid? Was he about to drink the same poison that killed Echizen Najirou in some sort of twisted karma punishment. He glanced at Tezuka and thought about the conversations they shared before and after his trip and how he had failed to kill him once already. He didn't pretend to understand everything that went through Tezuka's mind nor the odd code of honour that assassins followed but he felt that he knew Tezuka.

He didn't think Tezuka was out to kill him, at least not tonight, but if he was, Atobe would go showing that he trusted Tezuka and not cowering. Hoping his hesitation wasn't noticed he took a sip of the tea. The flavour was pleasant and if it was poisoned it was at least one that blended well with the herbal tea mix.

"Will I see you in the morning for breakfast then?" Atobe asked casually, as if he hadn't just thought of his own demise and possibly doomed himself.

Tezuka gave a nod. "It would lend credibility to our story and we can go over the schedule for the day."

Atobe gave a soft chuckle. "You need not take your role quite so seriously, Tezuka. We could just enjoy breakfast as two friends without the need for business talk."

Tezuka seemed to be considering the words as he drank because after a moment of silence he gave a small nod. "That's true. Well, until then, I really must retire. Have a goodnight, Atobe."

"You, too."

Tezuka stood and gave a small nod of acknowledgement before leaving. Though Tezuka paused at the door and Atobe looked up over at him. "Yes?" He asked.

"Don't forget to finish your tea."

If he hadn't already thought about being poisoned and mostly dismissed it as ludicrous that sentence would have set alarm bells off in his head. As it was, he managed a smile. "Of course. It would be rude not to drink it if you made it especially for me."

"Good," Tezuka said and then after another moment of lingering, left the room and closed the door behind him.

Atobe stared at the door for longer than necessary before turning back to his tea. After a moment of contemplation he downed what was rest. Fates be damned. He would not live his life in fear of his new advisor even if his mind did kept warring with his heart over what was in the cup.

Finished with his tea and deciding that any work could wait, he stood and moved to the bed to get some rest and to see if he really would wake for tomorrow's breakfast date with Tezuka. As he tucked himself under the blankets and got comfortable he could feel his limbs growing heavy as his eyes drooped shut. Would this be his end? The great Atobe Keigo undone by tea and misplaced trust in a handsome face?

He gave a light snort of disbelief at the thought before the darkness claimed him.


	5. Tea for Two - Part 1 Epilogue

Atobe's limbs felt heavy and it took a few attempts before he could get his eyelids to open properly. The room was brightly lit from the late morning sun and he scrunched his face at it.

He blinked a couple of times and the room started to come into focus and as he looked around he spotted a figure sitting in the chair by the window. "Tezuka?" He asked not quite believing what he was seeing.

Tezuka put the book that he was reading down on the table beside the cups and pot of tea and looked over at him. "Yes. How are you feeling?"

"Fine…" Atobe said as he took stock of how he felt. He still felt a bit lethargic but that was probably from sleeping so long. "Did you drug me?" He wasn't sure the last time it was that he was able to sleep in so late.

"My apologies. Oshitari said you haven't been sleeping well lately and I had to agree that you looked tired."

Two things went through his mind at that. One, Oshitari and Tezuka had been conspiring behind his back already which could be dangerous and two, Tezuka had noticed he was tired. So either Tezuka actually did care about him or he had looked more haggard than he thought but everyone was too polite or scared to mention. He really hoped it wasn't the latter and that Tezuka was just looking out for him.

"I admit I do feel better now. But I do have a country to run."

"As your advisor, I had your schedule rearranged so you had free time this morning…" Tezuka paused and looked at the window before he continued speaking. "You did want people to believe I received the position because I am bedding you. This will help fuel the rumours."

"Is that why you're here?" Atobe asked. "To fuel the rumours?"

"Partly." Tezuka only looked back from the window as Atobe sat up on the bed, running his fingers through his hair to help tame it.

"And the other part?"

"Your room is a nice quiet place to read."

There was no sign on Tezuka's face or in his voice but Atobe was sure that he was teasing and that could not possibly be a reason to sulk about in a king's bedroom. Still, Atobe would let him get away for the foolish answer for now. He had other things to press Tezuka on.

"I half expected not to wake up today."

"Yet you still drank the tea?" Tezuka asked, surprise seeping into his voice this time.

"Even a king can't live forever, Tezuka," Atobe said.

"I know." Tezuka caught his eyes for a long moment and then raised his cup to take a sip of his tea.

If there was anyone in the room who knew just how fragile a king's life could be, it would certainly be the man by his window. Yet somehow, Atobe didn't feel too concerned about that. At least not for now. For now, he would enjoy a quiet morning with his advisor and in the afternoon he would enjoy hearing the budding whispers of gossip.

-end


	6. The Masks We Wear

A belated birthday gift to three of my favourite Tenipuri birthday boys - Atobe, Tezuka and Oshitari. When I started this, it was going to be a short follow up for Tea for Two. I did not expect it to become quite so long or give me quite so much trouble in parts as the boys delved into court intrigue. I hope it stays true to the original part and is just as enjoyable.

* * *

Tezuka walked across the hall and towards the king who was currently surrounded by various attendants and tradesmen. There seemed to be a level of excitement to the happenings and despite knowing better, Tezuka walked toward Atobe and hoped he would not be caught up in whatever was going on now. It was a vague hope since in the time that he had been acting as personal attendant for the King of Hyoutei he had managed to evade a surprisingly limited number of activities that Atobe had brought forth for hm. It was somewhat disconcerting to the assassin though he could not explain exactly why.

Atobe looked over as Tezuka approached and gave him a large smile. "Perfect timing. Look at what just arrived."

"What is it?" Tezuka asked.

"The masks for the party, of course." Atobe selected one and handed it over to Tezuka. "Try it on."

Tezuka looked at the sparkling and feathered mask in his hand and tried to picture a time when he may have hinted to Atobe that he wanted something like this or would be happy to wear it. Drawing a blank on either, he then looked around at all of the attendants, courtiers and members of the guard who so clearly expected to see something entertaining. The majority believed him an advisor in name only and the title earned through a continued affair with the king. The truth of him trying and failing to assassinate their beloved king and then owing him a life debt would probably seem much more ludicrous to them despite it being much more accurate.

Still, the rumours worked to their advantage and it would not be good to have a public quarrel over such a trifling matter. With great reluctance and a sigh, he held the mask up to his face though he did not fully put it on. "Is it not a bit much?" He asked as he looked at Atobe through the mask.

He would have much preferred a simple mask of singular colour and without any feathers or gemstones.

"Hmmm perhaps a little. But the point of a masked ball is to go all out and have fun. And how shall we properly enjoy my birthday celebration if our advisor is hovering over our shoulder in a dull costume?"

"I suppose I will just have to make do then," Tezuka said as he handed the mask back to Atobe and looked at the even more extravagant one being held by a nearby attendant that undoubtedly belonged to Atobe himself. Perhaps he should just be thankful that Atobe had showed some restraint when it came to his own mask, even if it were not obvious.

"That's a good man," Atobe said, clearly pleased that Tezuka did not argue for les feathers. "Now, why were you looking for us?"

"I came to remind you about our lunch meeting. I know how you can forget them if someone doesn't remind you." Truthfully they had not made prior arrangements but Tezuka needed some of Atobe's time to express his concerns over some disturbing mail they had received lately. Expressing his desires to eat lunch with the king privately would also add to his cover. Even though there were plenty of valid reasons why an advisor would want to eat lunch alone with his king, he was sure that the court would only see it as him wanting some time alone with his lover without everyone hovering around nearby.

"Of course." Is it that time already?" Atobe asked not missing a beat and acting all along as if they had plans. Tezuka gave a suitable nod. "Kabaji, see to the rest of this. We trust we'll be well looked after until you join us again," Atobe easily commanded before brushing past the no longer wanted entourage.

-0-0-0-0-

"So now that you have me alone, what is it you wish to discuss?" Atobe asked as he stepped toward the table that Tezuka had actually prepared for them in the middle of Atobe's favoured rose garden.

"It's about the ball."

"If it's about the mask, I suppose we could lose some of the feathers but I really think it will take away from the overall look of the outfit."

Tezuka did not dare ask how many feathers the rest of his outfit had if the mask had to match and instead focused on the topic at hand. "While it's about the mask, it's not in the way you think. I know you're aware of the threats that have been made against you. And while we all feel that cancelling the ball would be the safest option we know it's not one that you'll take. So, we thought a compromise."

"I'm listening," Atobe said as he poured them both a glass of champagne.

"Perhaps you could change the theme so it's no longer a masked ball," Tezuka said hoping that Atobe would see reason. "It would help us identify threats more easily."

"What do I have to fear when I have a diligent and elite guard as well as an assassin pledged to save my life? " Atobe slid over a champagne flute, seemingly not bothered at all by the fact that his life was in danger.

"I can only kill someone if I know who to look for."

"Then you'll just have to find out who it is you need to kill and dispatch them before they can dispatch me. I suggest doing so before they slip on a mask and sneak into my party. Now sit, and let's enjoy our lunch."

Tezuka sighed and sat down though he ignored his champagne in favour of the iced tea instead. At least he could enjoy a delicious meal in a lovely setting with quite nice company before he set about the impossible task Atobe had just set for him.

-0-0-0-0-

Tezuka sat in Oshitari's library and took a sip of the drink that Oshitari had just prepared for him. It was still easiest to discuss unsavoury things while at Oshitari's townhouse away from prying eyes and ears that the castle seemed to be full of. It also meant that Atobe could not randomly wander in and join them despite the meetings and business of the kingdom he should really be doing. They had learned quite early on that if they wanted Atobe to focus on his work and be able to do theirs that they needed to be somewhere that the king could not easily get to.

So he was in a chair that he now thought of as his usual seat and considered the small fire that was keeping the room warm despite the cooler evening. "Do you think it's someone from Seigaku?" While he did not think that anyone had suspected he was responsible for the previous king's death him taking the position of advisor in Hyoutei so soon after had to be suspicious.

"No. You left on good terms and you were always known for your wandering ways. The rumour of your dalliance with Atobe helps as well," Oshitari said with a shrug. "Besides, we recently received an invitation from the young king inviting you to the tournament next year. Apparently your presence has been sorely missed."

Tezuka nodded at that. Reassured that he would not be hunting down Fuji, Echizen's older and overprotective brother or worrying about a new poison from Inui. But that did not bring them any closer to finding the culprit of the letters.

"I believe we can also discount anyone from the Rikkai Empire. We do not seem to be a high priority for the empire. And their ambassador here has been acting no different than usual," Oshitari went on as he flipped through a journal in the chair across from Tezuka's.

"That's reassuring. Rikkai is known for their ruthlessness as well as their thoroughness at taking down those that oppose them," Tezuka said.

"We'll face that obstacle if and when it arrives. For now, I think our threat is from closer to home."

Tezuka had to agree. The other kingdoms and states had no motivation to threaten the king of Hyoutei and cause instability in the region as the upper nobles fought for the title of king. And if it was another assassin sent to finish what Tezuka did not they would hardly announce their presence with letters. And they would most likely target him first so he would not interfere with their assignment.

So it meant that it was someone who was either trying to discourage or scare Atobe or were arrogant enough to send threats and follow through with them. A few names popped into Tezuka's head that were worth considering. Those that he knew Atobe had vexed in recent months either through snubs at public or private events or because he brought the sword of justice upon them and stopped some illegal dealings that nearly all nobles seemed to dabble in. There were also those who were just greedy and thought they could advance in standing if the king were to die. Those people could be no less dangerous than those that were angered by the king. And often times, they were deluded enough to think themselves important and capable of doing the deed.

Unfortunately, Tezuka did not now who all of the ambitious nobles were and if they were indeed capable of such acts or not. He knew of a few noble ladies who hoped to win Atobe's favour and become queen but none that would resort to murdering him.

"Who would stand to gain by his death? It seems as logical a place to start as any." Tezuka hoped that with Oshitari's help they could move through the list of potential killers in time to handle it before the day of the ball. He also hoped that his assumption that it was someone at court and not any of the guilds or gangs in the city were the ones responsible. There were a few clues to suggest it was by a noble hand but his intuition also told him that it as the correct direction to look at.

-0-0-0-0-

It had been two weeks and they were no closer to discovering the ones responsible for the letters despite receiving more of them. All they could say for their hard work was that the list of potential murderers was shortening by the day. Though much more slowly than Tezuka would like.

And it certainly didn't help that Atobe seemed to not care at all about the continued threat on his life. Perhaps as a king he had long since grown used to such things but surely he could understand that added risk of masks and a party filled with others.

He sighed causing Atobe to look over at him from his bath. "Something on your mind Tezuka?" He asked before taking a sip of champagne.

Tezuka set aside the papers that he had made no progress on and looked at Atobe who seemed to be soaking without a care in the world. Shared bathtime was the perfect opportunity to not only keep his reputation of Atobe's favoured lover but to also keep the ever lurking guards away so they could talk privately. It did not make the event any less awkward though and Tezuka tried to keep himself occupied with actual work while Atobe was wet, naked and relaxed in the tub.

"Your would be murderer."

"Have you not dealt with them yet?" Atobe asked leaning forward.

"You know we haven't. Though we have eliminated numerous candidates from the list."

"You make it sound as if I have more enemies than allies."

"You're a king. Apparently that gives people plenty of reason to blame you for even the most asinine things," Tezuka said. He had been a bit taken aback at some of the candidates Oshitari had brought forth and the reasons why they could want Atobe dead. He hoped he would never become as petty as some of the lesser nobles.

"Ha! They can try. But so many of them lack the courage to even look me in the eye let alone kill me."

"One cannot risk getting careless," Tezuka said holding back an exasperated sigh.

"And I'm not. I've increased the number of guards around me and have discussed security measures with all those that need to know." Atobe reached out from the tub and took his hand, giving it a soft squeeze. "I'll be fine."

"I would rest easier if we knew who was so boldly threatening you." He gave a small squeeze back before releasing Atobe's hand and reaching for a towel to dry his own off with.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out. But perhaps you two should stop looking at who wants revenge or further titles and more towards those with a more personal bias against me. There are some who feel I do not give them enough time or that I'm responsible for all the bad luck they have in life. They feel that perhaps the next monarch would give them the time and appreciation their hard work deserves." As Tezuka just gave him a questioning look, Atobe continued. "A watchmaker of mine was discussing some unfortunate business he had with an apprentice who was dissatisfied with the level of acknowledgement and praise he was getting."

Tezuka considered that, as he handed Atobe his towel as he rose from the tub. The first time he had delayed in passing the object over when Atobe had asked, despite easily being able to reach it himself, Tezuka had been rewarded with Atobe putting on a ridiculous display of various poses the king must have thought alluring while he stood naked and dripping in the tub.

"Thank you," Atobe said before stepping out from the tub. "And you should try to look a little less buttoned up and perfect when you leave today. People will start to think that all you do is use my tub as a foot rest while you read."

"Then they would be scarily accurate in their guessing," Tezuka said. If someone other than Atobe's inner circle was able to say exactly what Tezuka did during their shared baths, he would have to have words with them in private about spying on the king. As it was, he supposed Atobe did occasionally have a point and moved to undo a button or two of his jacket and then dipped his hand into the bath water and ran it through his hair.

His thoughts were already back on what Atobe had said though. Atobe had a point about the potential murderer. Maybe Oshitari and him had been looking at people who were too obvious and they needed to change direction. It was something to consider and bring up with Oshitari the next time they had a moment alone together. Unfortunately, it would set back their search even further and the masked ball was getting dangerously close.

"Much better," Atobe said. And before Tezuka realized it, Atobe was pressed up beside him in nothing but a towel and messing up his hair. He really had to get better at not dropping his guard when the other was around.

"Is this necessary?" Tezuka asked as Atobe continued to help him look more rumpled.

"Of course. I have a reputation to maintain. I can't have the court thinking my prowess is anything but top level. I leave even the most proper of advisors in a state of disarray after any amount of time alone."

"How foolish of me to forget so," Tezuka said finally stepping back from Atobe and trying to tug his clothes back into some order from Atobe's ministrations on them. He wasn't even sure how Atobe managed to undo so many buttons in such a short amount of time. "I should go work on some papers for tomorrow. Will you be fine for rest of the night?"

"Kabaji will be near as will the usual guards in the anteroom."

"And the tunnels?"

"The secret tunnels you are not supposed to know about?" Atobe asked with a teasing smirk and Tezuka gave a simple nod in reply.

He was sure that Kabaji had still not forgiven him for accidentally startling him when they had encountered each other in the tunnels. Both on sensitive errands for the king and taking advantage of the discrete shortcuts the tunnels could offer.

"There are enough guards hiding about in the walls of my castle to make even you think twice about using them."

"I will take your word for that. Tonight, I shall stick to the main halls."

"Good. I'd hate for all my work to go to waste. And Tezuka, if you are arranging meetings could you put any of the agriculture based ones after lunch? They tend to make me hungry before hand and if for some reason lunch runs long, I never feel too guilty about cancelling on them."

Tezuka shook his head slightly at the request but made a mental note to do so. He knew Atobe took his job seriously and was indeed impressed at how hard the king worked to know what was happening in every part of his kingdom and how he could make it better. But he could also understand Atobe's desire to avoid the less than interesting meetings from time to time. Having sat in on a few, he now knew which ones to avoid if he was able to.

"If that's all. I will take my leave."

"That is all. Though will I be seeing you again tonight?"

Tezuka thought of all the things he had to do and now all the new people he had to research with Oshitari and shook his head. "Not tonight. I will try to be in attendance for breakfast." He wasn't quite sure how it started exactly but somehow he now spent several nights a week sharing the king's bed. Or at least his chambers since he more often fell asleep on the couch or in a chair with his legs propped up on the bed as he reviewed papers far too long into the night.

Despite Atobe's desire to chat at times, he found the King's chambers to be quiet and inviting and he had kept drifting there when his own rooms felt too empty or the neighbouring rooms too noisy. It was convenient to always have the excuse that it helped his cover. It allowed him to evade any questions from Atobe or Oshitari and even avoid looking too closely at his own motivations.

"Sleep well, Atobe," Tezuka said as he started heading to the door with his papers.

"And you, too," Atobe replied though they both knew that Tezuka would be too busy trying to keep Atobe safe from a would be murderer to do so.

-0-0-0-0-

Tezuka sighed as he looked at the list of people he thought of potential suspects and then sighed again as he glanced to Atobe's schedule for tomorrow. Perhaps he should have let the title of personal advisor be nothing more than a ruse so that Atobe could keep his lover close. But Tezuka liked to stay busy and be useful and taking on some of Atobe's duties and properly advising him was actually quite rewarding. But with the upcoming ball, the murder threats and Atobe's dislike of current ministers it was all culminating in the form of a large headache.

Tezuka stood and moved from behind his desk, intent on seeing if there were any servants walking past his office that he could send to go get coffee. His hand was just reaching for the door handle when the door opened. A lesser man may have been startled, but Tezuka merely stepped back so he would not be trampled as Oshitari made his entrance.

"Lord Oshitari," Tezuka said in greeting. He gestured for Oshitari to fully enter before closing the door behind him. "It's unusual for you to visit me here."

"Unusual but not so much as to make tongues wag. Besides, if you're feeling like I do, I thought you could use some coffee… suitably spiked of course." Oshitari set the mugs down on the desk followed by various snacks that were clearly scrounged from the kitchen staff Tezuka knew he liked to flirt with.

With a nod, Tezuka moved back to his chair and picked up the mug. After a slight sniff at the contents he decided there was more coffee than alcohol and took a sip. "Thank you. And have you found out anything about those Atobe suggested we look into?"

"It's slow going. Even for me," Oshitari confessed.

"Then Atobe's hint hasn't helped and the ball is in two days time," Tezuka didn't sigh but he did adjust his glasses as he considered the list on his desk.

"We'll keep him safe, Tezuka. Though it does warm me to see you worry."

"I owe him a life debt. I have no choice but to be concerned about his safety." Tezuka hoped to nip Oshitari's romantic side in the bud before it got going. Since he had won Oshitari over the other had seemed quite taken with the idea of him and Atobe going from enemies to lovers or some such. He almost preferred the suspicious looks and doubt in his motives.

"If that's what you need to keep telling yourself," Oshitari said. It always made Tezuka worried when Oshitari gave in that quickly but there were other things to focus on tonight.

"If you have no news, why did you come?"

"To see if you had any breakthroughs. And to perhaps start discussing backup plans. I'm sure you've already been thinking of alternative ways to protect the king."

Tezuka hid his urge to sigh again by taking another sip of his coffee. "The best course of action would still be to know who those making threats are before the party. The masks will add an extra element of confusion that could lead to mistakes." And Tezuka did not like getting careless or risk harming the wrong people.

"We are rapidly running out of time to make that course of action a reality, Tezuka. I've been through all the gossip and called in all the favours I could think of that would be of use."

Tezuka could understand Oshitari's frustration. But he was an assassin, not an investigator and while he could formulate numerous plans to dispatch a person he could only do so if he knew who that person was. "We can start thinking of that after tomorrow. We could still find something," Tezuka said.

"I suppose that's true." Oshitari took a long drink of his own coffee before reaching for a muffin he had brought. His eyes then landed on Atobe's schedule for tomorrow. "Oh… he's not going to be in a good mood tomorrow. His afternoon is filled with all of those agriculture ministers."

"He asked me to try to reschedule them… or to keep him busy so he can have a reason to be late. But he seems to have cancelled on a few of these ministers several times recently and while I understand how dry the meetings can be surely they must have something of interest to say on occasion," Tezuka said.

"So you don't plan on taking pity with him and arranging a lovers' long lunch?" Oshitari asked.

"I really don't think it wise to indulge him too mu-" Tezuka stopped talking and picked up the schedule paper again and then quickly flipped through the book filled with previous schedules and their corrections of cancelled activities.

"What is it?" Oshitari asked as he stood to get a better look.

"I think I have our new suspects," Tezuka said. If they were to believe Atobe's hunch about the murderers being someone that he had spurned or failed to recognize then these two would certainly be near the top of any list. "Do you know who the Minister of sustainable mountain farming and the minister of sheep are?"

"They're the representatives from the province of Yamabuki."

"And their names?" Tezuka asked.

"Does it not say in the schedule?"

"No. Just their titles. And it also shows that out of all of the agriculture ministers, these are the two that seem to be cancelled on the most. They would certainly hold a grudge about that." Tezuka passed over the schedule book for Oshitari to look over before moving to a bookshelf in his office. After skimming the titles for a moment he pulled out the one that would list all the current ministers and brought it back. "Higashikata and Minami. I don't suppose you could remember them long enough to find out more about them?"

"We'll have to hope that they aren't quite as forgettable to everyone else," Oshitari said. "But if I am to be off mingling for gossip all day tomorrow, I best make an early night of it."

Tezuka raised an eyebrow at Oshitari's rather hasty retreat instead of staying to at least finish his coffee. "And it has nothing to do with the footsteps that have passed by here three times and have since stopped not far away?"

"I'm quite glad you're on our side, Tezuka. But as you pointed out, I seem to be late for my next appointment. I'll see you tomorrow." He rose and took his coffee mug with him as he left the room.

Tezuka didn't see who it was clearly that was waiting for Oshitari but the voice was male and seemed to have long hair. He was quite sure the person was more likely to be Oshitari's current fling than a secret source looking to share the identity of those that would harm the king. But he supposed they all handled stress in different ways.

That in mind, he looked back to his book, determined to learn as much about these ministers and their duties as he could.

-0-0-0-0-

When Atobe returned to his room after a quick meal in his study he was not in a good. A long afternoon of tedious meetings that all ran overly long caused him to miss the castle's main dinner and then a seemingly endless stream of questions for tomorrow's party had to be answered. He was just about to bar the door and sneak out his office window, something that would be very unbecoming of a king, when Ohtori came into the room to announce that there were no more meetings and wanted to know if the king would like to take in evening activities or head back to his room.

As he hadn't been rescued by his personal advisor he felt it best to retire and see if Tezuka was waiting in his room. He was not as immune to death threats on his person as he acted and it would be best to know if tonight could possibly be his last or if his protector had finally found something.

Also, if Tezuka had merely spent the afternoon and evening perusing the library and taking in the view from the upper floors then Atobe would have to have words with him about not rescuing him from the agriculture meetings. It may not put his life at risk but it certainly put his sanity in dire peril.

"Tezuka, you better have good news for me since you allowed my ministers to torture me all afternoon," Atobe said as he left behind the last of his guards in the anteroom and stepped into his bedroom. He paused at the sight that greeted him and slowed his strides so he could quietly move towards the bed.

He smiled at the sight of Tezuka sprawled fast asleep on his bed. As he watched the assassin breathe in deep slumber, he felt his anger melting away. It was hard to be mad at a person who had obviously worked himself to exhaustion. He had caught Tezuka napping before but he'd never been able to sneak up on him like this.

Atobe undid his jacket and draped it over a chair that already held Tezuka's and then sat on the bed to tug off his boots. He looked over at Tezuka who still hadn't stirred and smiled. Surely they had both earned a well deserved nap before they spoke of murder and other horrible things.

-0-0-0-0-

Tezuka was confused when he opened his eyes as it was dark and there was a heavy weight across his chest. He had only meant to rest his eyes a moment while he waited for Atobe to arrive back from his meetings. He had no intention to sleep well into darkness and certainly did not expect Atobe to allow him to keep sleeping.

He sighed and reached out with his free arm to gently brush some blonde strands from Atobe's face. He couldn't make out much as Atobe was curled on his side, one arm across Tezuka's chest and the dimness of the room did not help but he could see enough to make out how relaxed and young the king looked while deep in sleep. It seemed a shame to wake him but he had things to do and could not continue being Atobe's cuddle toy for the night. He also needed to know what Atobe wanted to do with his would be murderers.

Tezuka had suggested that he could quickly and discretely take both out well before the party and even dispose of the bodies in a way that they would never be discovered if it was desired. But Oshitari had implied that Atobe may not wish his ministers dead. Or if he did, he may wish to make an example of them instead. So while Tezuka went about discovering evidence of their plots he refrained from any assassinations and instead returned here to ask Atobe his thoughts on the situation.

Unfortunately it now meant that he had to wake Atobe up from well earned slumber. He brushed strands that had once more fallen into his face behind an ear before somewhat cruelly moving an elbow to nudge Atobe in the chest. When that didn't work he did so a second time, somewhat harder.

"Omph. Wha-?!" Atobe was instantly awake and sitting up while looking down at Tezuka. "Oh.. I suppose that was your idea of a gentle wake up?" Atobe asked as he brushed his fingers through his hair. He then reached over to the nightstand to light a lamp and fill the room with a soft glow.

"It was quite gentle," Tezuka reassured as he moved to lean against the headboard. "You didn't wake me."

"You didn't wake when I came in. Clearly you were tired."

"Your killers won't care if I'm fully rested or not before they dispose of you, Atobe," Tezuka said rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Killers? How many have I amassed since we've spoken last?"

"Two."

"That doesn't seem so bad."

"You realize that most people would consider any number over zero horrible," Tezuka pointed out.

"I'm not most people. I'm the king."

"Hnnn…." Tezuka was less than impressed with that reasoning. Though he supposed it was safe to assume that a person with absolute power would make more than a few enemies along the way.

"So tell me about these two would be murderers of mine."

"They're your ministers of sustainable farming on mountains and sheep," Tezuka said.

"What? You do realize that you arranged for me to be in meetings with them this afternoon. When did you find this out?" Atobe asked looking a bit startled.

Tezuka gave a small quirk of the lips at Atobe's reaction but shrugged off any future accusation that Atobe would be raising against him for putting him in danger. "you were perfectly safe surrounded by your guards. And the murderers threatened to act at the ball. Not beforehand."

"That is hardly reassuring."

"If we're going to be killing them, I imagine you would want to know what they have been doing lately in their ministerial positions. Also, I needed to know that they were occupied elsewhere while I searched their offices and quarters for evidence."

"True… but I still do not like the thought of having shared tea and conversation with two who want me dead."

"You do so with me all the time without complaint," Tezuka pointed out and was amused as Atobe huffed at that.

"It is not the same and you know it. Besides, I'm quite sure they attempted to murder me with tedium today. Which is something you at least don't try to do."

"I'm not a fan of torture," Tezuka said. He then reached over to bedside table and ignoring his glasses there reached for the paper below them.

"What's this?" Atobe asked as he accepted the paper and held it the best he could to the light.

"A rubbing of one of the notes you received. While it was clear they took precautions they weren't as careful as they thought."

"I see… so they really did send the threats?"

"They did," Tezuka said. He knew that Atobe would not take the news as well as he may act. As a king it was hard to find competent people to work with you and that you could trust. It could not be easy finding out that ministers were plotting your demise.

"So what is your next course of action?" Atobe asked after a moment of pondering the paper.

"That's one of the things I came to discuss."

"And the others?" Atobe asked finally setting aside the paper.

"Why you assigned me to this," Tezuka said.

"What do you mean? You're my personal advisor, surely this falls into the realm of your job description."

"I don't recall being given one. And I'm sure your guards or even some of your smarter attendants could have dealt with this."

Atobe sent a small glare at Tezuka, likely for the insult of his attendants. It would not be the first time that Tezuka had insulted their intelligence or their purpose for existing. Atobe however continued to defend them even if in the next he was going on about some tale of their idiocy.

"I asked you because you have the skills, motivation and discretion. My guard and attendants can fit some but not all of those qualifications," Atobe said. "And as you said, without a proper job description you are freer than most who serve me to spend your time on other projects without drawing suspicion."

"Are you not concerned that I will consider stopping these two as fulfilling our agreement?" Tezuka reached out to grab Atobe's wrist. "It would be easy to kill you and sneak away with all the liberties you have granted me over the last few months."

"Don't be foolish," Atobe said. He reached over to place a hand over Tezuka's that held his wrist and gave it gentle pat. "There's no evidence they want to do more than scare me. And even if they do you can't be sure they would succeed. I'm well protected and can also defend myself."

"And?" Tezuka asked not following Atobe's logic.

"That's doubt enough to keep you by my side." Atobe gave one more gentle pat before pulling back both hands, the other having been released at the first tug from Atobe.

"Hmm…" Tezuka wasn't sure he liked Atobe being able to see through his thoughts so easily especially when he had not even realized that that would be true. Clearly it would take more than these tasks that Atobe kept assigning him to free him from his debt if his morals would acknowledge such grey areas.

"Go sleep, Tezuka. We can finish discussing matters over breakfast."

Tezuka considered the window and then their jackets both draped over the same chair before looking at his glasses which were quite at home on the bedside table. With a long sigh he stood and then before he could second guess himself, pulled down the covers and slipped back into bed.

"Tezuka? Wh-" Atobe started asking before Tezuka cut him off.

"I may as well stay here for tonight. If you don't mind…" Tezuka said as he moved onto his side, his back to Atobe.

"No. Not at all," Atobe said. And while he couldn't see him to confirm it, Tezuka thought the king sounded just a little bit flustered. It was good that he could still keep him on his toes even if Atobe no longer thought him capable of killing him.

-0-0-0-0-

"We should dance," Atobe said as he plucked Tezuka's champagne glass out of his hand and gave it to a nearby wait staff.

"You have plenty of young noble ladies to dance with," Tezuka said. He was at the ball in the ridiculous outfit and mask that Atobe had wanted him to wear and had even stood far too close next to him as they made small talk with several noble families. He considered his social obligations done for the night and would much rather focus on his other more pressing obligation of keeping Atobe alive.

"Of course. But none could compare to our dashing personal advisor. Besides, we're in need of personal advising and what better place to discuss it than on the dance floor."

Tezuka sighed, thankful most of his expression was hidden by the mask. He could try to argue reason into Atobe but it was clear the king was not in the mood to hear about social propriety and how it was traditional for a man to partner with a woman when dancing and not their taller male advisor. The fact that those close enough to have overheard this exchange were smiling or laughing lightly behind raised hands did not raise his opinion of this idea. Instead it just made him more resigned to his fate.

"One short dance," Tezuka warned as he took Atobe's raised hand. "Who leads?"

"As King we should lead. But as you are taller and likely less graceful and less able to adapt to new situations, we will allow you the honour of leading us," Atobe said as if he wasn't about to cause a room full of gossiping and scandalised elders.

Tezuka just gave a nod and changed his hold on Atobe's hand so that it was in the lead position as he walked the king back out onto the dance floor. He chose a spot near Oshitari and the young noble woman he had accompanied tonight. He hadn't recognized her nor the name that Oshitari had hastily given for his companion but with the costumes and masks, Tezuka thought nothing of it. All that he cared about was that if Oshitari overheard any of their conversation he would not be surprised by it and undoubtedly find an effective way to distract his date from hearing, too.

"What is it you wished to speak about?" Tezuka asked as he bowed to Atobe as a new song began.

"The usual," Atobe replied mirroring Tezuka's bow though his was not as deep.

They moved into the starting position and began the slow intricate steps of the court dance. "Tonight's usual or the more general usual?" Tezuka asked.

"Tonight's… I was thinking," Atobe paused as he was spun out away from Tezuka and then back in. "I don't want them killed."

"Why?"

"If attack is imminent, do what must be done. But somehow I feel they are all talk and bluster and have no true desire to see me dead on the floor."

"Did your insight show you this?" Tezuka did not believe in insights and sixth senses. He believed in hard work and research. But it was hard to deny that Atobe's insight had seen some very interesting and accurate things over their times together. It would not be wise to dismiss it out of hand.

"Perhaps. But I was thinking more about their characters. They're nobles who never get noticed and spend most of the time on farms and in the mountains. They do not strike me as the ones to commit regicide because I dislike their meetings."

"So what do you think their purpose of the threats were?" Tezuka asked before he spun Atobe out and away toward a new partner. He ended up taking the hand of Oshitari's date and as they performed the steps he thought of the person that Oshitari had met with after one of their meetings and about one of Atobe's favoured attendants despite his occasionally poor manners.

Before he could speak to the person he was dancing with or wonder too precisely on what Oshitari had had to do to convince Shishido to wear a dress and masquerade as a noble woman as his date for the evening the dance required him to send Oshitari his date back and once more accept the king into his arms.

"Lord Yamada was so startled by me that he stepped on my foot," Atobe complained.

"Should I kill him for you?" Tezuka asked, the mask hiding his face so Atobe would likely not be able to tell if he was teasing or not.

"Not tonight. You have other things to do."

"Yes… those Yamabuki ministers and I need a word. Shall they be brought to the prisons or left incapacitated in a room for you to deal with later?"

"Either is fine. I want to know what they thought embarrassing me with death threats would accomplish."

"Is that what you think this is now about?" Tezuka could understand how embarrassing the king would seem like suitable payback. But this ran the risk of getting themselves killed. And the chances of it working when their king was as stubborn as Atobe was quite slim to begin with.

"It's my current assumption. And I would prefer them alive until I can confirm."

"Then it will be done," Tezuka said and topped the words off with a flourished bow as the dance came to a close. "Now if you'll excuse me."

"And leave me alone on the dance floor? That's quite inconsiderate of you, Tezuka," Atobe said.

Tezuka just gave his head a small shake but kept a hold of Atobe's hand as he walked him off the dance floor and towards some nobles that Atobe wouldn't find too bothersome to chat to. "Now if you'll excuse me…"

"If we must. But do hurry back. We want another dance with you before you bore us with whatever problem of the kingdom's you're trying to fix this week," Atobe said, waving a dismissive hand at Tezuka.

"I'll do my best." With a bow, Tezuka headed away from the gathered nobles and down the hall to a nearby room.

It was short work to switch his overly decorated mask and jacket for the simple ones the waitstaff wore and then pick up the serving tray he had left in there earlier. Returning to the door, he bowed politely to the empty room as if it was still occupied and then made his way down the hall. If his information was correct, the two ministers from Yamabuki should be in the middle of their preparations for whatever act they intended to follow through with. He was not yet convinced that Atobe was right and that they did not truly mean to kill their sovereign.

His plan was a simple one. Incapacitate them as swiftly as possible, bind them so they could not escape and then look for clues to their intention. Having finished that he would lock the door behind him, change clothes and return to Atobe where he would slip Kabaji the key to the room and then endure a bit more public time at the ball before convincing Atobe to retire with him for the evening. The implications of what that action would cause in the gossip circles but business took precedent over his reputation.

He took the three pieces of small pipe out of his inside suit jacket pocket and screwed them together to shoot his small blow darts with. They tips had been dipped in a potent but non-lethal sleeping toxin. The more he could limit how much he would be seen and the commotion his subduing them would cause the better.

Prepared to do what needed to be done, he held up the tray to block the blow dart pipe and gave a short swift knock on the door and entered before the occupants had a chance to say a word. As expected, they were startled by the door opening and clearly had been in the middle of something.

He was lucky that they were seated at a coffee table, their back to the door. Before they could collect themselves or truly start to chastise him or explain what they were doing he pulled out his gun and quickly blew one dart into the back of one man's neck. When his partner started to stand and turn he had the pipe reloaded and sunk the other dart into his neck. He wobbled on his feet for a moment before slumping back down, half in his chair and half in his partner's lap.

Tezuka was almost appalled by their slow reaction times and their shock at being thwarted. Did these two honestly think they could take on Atobe and the Hyoutei empire? Perhaps Atobe had been justified and thinking the threats were not realistic.

He walked up to the pair and gave their feet a light kick with his own to see if they were truly out now. He couldn't tell who was who with their masks on and wondered if he would be able to even with their masks off. They were somewhat known for being rather unmemorable.

Turning away from them he looked at the table to see what they were doing. The first thing he noticed was a near empty vial. Not a good sign. He picked it up and unstoppered it before lightly wafting the scent to him. He recognized it. It was a similar poison to the one he used to tip his blow darts. Just to be sure, he got the barest drop onto his finger and placed it on his tongue. Yes, it was nothing more than a potion that would put those who ingested it to sleep.

With so much missing, it probably meant that drinks had been spiked. He guessed the bunch bowl as the colour and taste of the liquid would be best concealed there. He tried to remember if Atobe had drank any of it and was sure that the king had only indulged in the best of the champagne.

However, it did mean that people at the party were likely starting to feel the effects and dropping off. It would cause alarm but he had faith that Kabaji and his guards would be able to quell it suitably so that no violence occurred. Stoppering the bottle and setting it back down, he looked at what else was on the table. There was a sealed envelope, similar to the others and very likely containing a new threat. He debated whether he should leave it for Atobe to open later but decided if he were to assess if they were a true threat or not he needed all the information he could.

The seal had set so he took out a small dagger and slid it under the wax to break itl before flipping it open and pulling out the letter. It appeared Atobe was right. They spoke of this being a warning and that next time they would choose fatal methods if their demands were not listened to. So perhaps the drugged punch was the only thing they had planned. He put the letter back in the envelope and set it down before considering rest of the items. Nothing seemed overly threatening or of interest.

Deciding that he had learned enough, he went over to the ministers and removed his darts. He then walked to the curtains to take the fancy ropes used to hold them back during daylight hours and used them to restrain the feet and hands of the ministers. It would not hold forever as when they woke they would eventually be able to move back to back and work on untying each other but Tezuka had no doubt that the guards would find them well before then.

Satisfied that everything was under control in here and that there was no obvious signs that would lead back to him, he took apart his blow dart pipe and slipped it, along with the two used darts, back into his jacket pocket. Picking up his abandoned tray, he surveyed the room and not finding anything out of order, left it to head back to the other room and change back into his normal mask and jacket before meeting back with the king.

-0-0-0-0-

It was late. Tezuka hadn't been invited to handle the aftermath of the night's events which suited him fine. He had returned to nobles nodding off and other guests who were confused by their friends and dance partners yawning. A brief exchange of words with Atobe to clear up the matter and things had sprung into action. Those affected were escorted to carriages or empty guest rooms and the punch quickly and discreetly replaced. A few words to smooth everything over plus a show from the hired acrobatic troupe and the evening was back on track with most unaware of the spiked punch.

It was all rather impressive and Tezuka admired the way in which Atobe and his team worked to make it seem as if nothing had ever been wrong at all. He did wish that Atobe had lost at least enough composure to think that stealing two more dances with him had been a bad idea. Fortunately he had been able to convince Atobe of the merit of dancing with a few young noble ladies after their first dance and Atobe had made excuses to leave his own party with Tezuka after their second.

He could already hear the gossip starting before they had even left the room with their hands still linked from the last dance but it was all part of the show and Tezuka had long since perfected the art of playing a part just enough and allowing others to assume everything else. Though Atobe had not been in his chambers with Tezuka for more than five minutes before he and Kabaji were sneaking out through one of the secret entrances and heading toward the room where he had left the ministers.

Knowing he could not be seen leaving the room so soon and still filled with restless energy from earlier he had taken off his mask and sparkling jacket before heading out of the room in his own way and heading to Atobe's office.

That was where Atobe had found him a couple of hours later. He was sat behind Atobe's desk, perusing his letters and notes while enjoying the fire he had started some time ago.

Atobe paused as he opened the door, causing the guards stationed at it to turn away from the hall and toward their king. They seemed surprised that there was someone in the room but didn't react further when the king waved them off. Atobe entered and closed the door and then moved to stand in front of the fire. "I see you've made yourself comfortable," Atobe said.

"I could suggest to you better ways to secure your files. You know I enjoy a challenge," Tezuka said as he placed the papers back onto Atobe's desk and then stood from Atobe's chair.

"You know that this is an executable offense. Breaking into the King's office and reading his files is not something to be taken lightly."

"I have it on good authority that the king is quite fond of me being alive." Tezuka moved to stand beside Atobe at the fire and looked into the flames.

"Only because you're more useful alive than you are dead," Atobe countered.

"If you insist." A few moments of silence passed between them before Tezuka glanced Atobe's way. "The ministers?"

"Currently under guard in their rooms. They have the day to reflect upon what we discussed and what their futures may hold." Tezuka could hear the tiredness in Atobe's voice.

"You'll allow them to keep their lives? Their titles?"

"I think that after our discussion our working relationship may yet improve. And as you have shown to me, there are advantages to people owing you their lives and livelihood."

Tezuka just nodded at that. He didn't know whether to be impressed by Atobe's kindness or by the ruthlessness behind that kindness. Perhaps it was the combination of both he appreciated. "And why do they need a day to think about it?"

"Ah… well they will need to accept that they will spend more of the year overseeing their duties personally and that our meetings and their written updates will be brief."

"I thought you ignoring them was what made them angry in the first place," Tezuka said.

"I'm not ignoring them. I'm just condensing them. And they can get more pertinent information and be more useful directing the funds and training they get from me personally."

Tezuka was not going to ask what the alternative to this agreement would be or if Atobe would was worried about retaliation in the future. He would trust Atobe to handle his own ministers and affairs as long as they were not directly threatening him again.

After another moment of silence, Atobe moved to his desk and looked at the papers that Tezuka currently had laid out. "Reading my correspondances about Rikkai?"

"Tread carefully with them Atobe. Mightier kingdoms than yours have tried and failed to handle them." Rikkai was an impressive empire and the subjects adored their emperor and his advisor but they were not known for their kindness in the face of mistakes. And they had defeated more than one opposing force by use of dubious means. Nothing good could come from closer ties with them.

"Then I suppose you won't approve of the missives I sent inviting them to visit during the Kingdom celebration festivities this year," Atobe said and then gave a chuckle at Tezuka's frown. "We can argue about it tomorrow. For now, I am tired and I imagine you must be, too. Let's go to bed."

Tezuka nodded and then gestured to the secret entrance that he knew about but hadn't used to get here. He didn't think Atobe would be open to scaling walls to sneak into his own bedroom. "We can discuss it over a late breakfast. I don't imagine many in the city will be up early tomorrow after tonight's party."

"It was quite an impressive ball, wasn't it?" Atobe asked as he stepped into the passageway, Tezuka following behind him and forced to listen to just how magnificent Atobe's ball had been as they walked to their rooms.

The end.


	7. The Smallest Things - 1

Atobe paused as he looked into the entrance of the training hall and his breath caught in his throat. He knew, without a doubt he knew, that Tezuka was skilled in weaponry. And Kabaji had told him that he had been training with Tezuka as he had requested some friendly spars to keep in shape. But he had not expected such an exquisite and skilled sight. The fact that Tezuka had sweat enough to make his white shirt see through in places and cling to his body certainly did not help the king recover his decorum.

"What's the hold up?" Shishido asked from behind him. Breaking Atobe's moment of enchantment at the sight.

"One must time their entrance accordingly. It never pays to distract our guard at a crucial moment," He said, covering his distraction easily.

As the two broke apart to get some water, Atobe entered and heard a few greetings from upper ranking guard members and of a voice he didn't expect. "Lord Oshitari. It's surprising to see you up this early."

"Your advisor can be quite persuasive when it comes to joining him once a week for some extra training. But I'm afraid I'm completely out classed once we move to this point," Oshitari said.

Atobe looked behind Oshitari and noticed the other's prized fencing rapier and some other supplies that shown use from this morning's training. "I see. I didn't realize it was a common thing for you."

"A recent occurrence, I assure you. And we didn't expect to see your highness here this morning. Or with one of your attendants. We would have provided better seating to watch from."

Atobe waved it away but he didn't miss Oshitari's gaze as it lingered on Shishido who was the poor lord in attendance in the anteroom when he decided on the early morning trek to hunt down Tezuka and see just what his spars with Kabaji were really like. It was for the best. Shishido was one of his attendants he trusted the most and he had a feeling that Oshitari would now distract him from anything he shouldn't be witnessing.

"We don't suppose we can entrust my attendant's safety to you while we go see how our advisor is faring against our captain of the guard." Atobe asked though it was not really a question.

"Of course, my king. I would be happy to keep him entertained and ensure he doesn't accidentally stab himself on a sword." Oshitari gave a fancy bow.

"Hey! I know how to use a sword. I took just as many fencing classes as you," Shishido grumbled. And Atobe knew that because Shishido's family estate was further into the country and sometimes saw skirmishes from bandits that Shishido had a very scrappy attitude and a penchant to fight dirty with a hidden dagger or two. He would have to trust Oshitari not to upset him to that point.

"Perhaps we can go over your technique while the king admires his advisor's form," Oshtari drawled as he approached Shishido.

Atobe didn't hear the reply but he was sure that Shishido now believed him here just to appreciate his lover's form, as that was what many in the kingdom believed he and Tezuka to be. It was a useful cover to hide the fact that Tezuka was a trained assassin who was obligated to protect him until he paid back a life debt. A debt that Atobe hoped was not paid off anytime in the near future. He rather enjoyed having the excuse to keep Tezuka close. He also liked living but most days he was able to convince himself that even free of his debt, Tezuka would not kill him.

As Atobe drew near the pair they both paused and looked towards him and gave small bows though it was clear to Atobe that while Kabaji's held real respect, Tezuka's was for the show of others.

"Are you here for a spar, your majesty?" Tezuka asked.

"No. We were just out enjoying some morning air when the sounds of the training hall caught our attention. Please pay us no heed."

Tezuka just gave him a look that showed he very much did not believe that story but Atobe just smiled and refused to change it.

"Would you care for a demonstration, my king?" Kabaji asked in his low quiet voice after a moment of awkward silence had passed between the three.

"If you would be so kind. We're curious to see how the famed skills of our advisor stack up against our trusted captain," Atobe said. He moved off to the side so he would not be at risk of any stray swords and watched as the two spoke in quiet voices as they were obviously trying to come to agreement on the terms of the spar. After a few moments, they broke apart and moved back to the weapons rack to pick up preferred weapons. Kabaji with his broadsword and Tezuka with two smaller swords.

He wasn't sure he approved of them using real blades but he suspected that with their skill levels it would be no more dangerous to each other than wooden ones would be.

They entered the sparring area and bowed to each other and this time Atobe saw no mockery in it. It seemed that the two had formed some sort of respect for each other since Tezuka had initially tried to kill him. That was good and spoke highly of Tezuka's skills at winning people over despite what could be interpreted as his obvious lack of social skills.

After the bow they took two steps back each and Atobe had no chance to ponder about their relationship further. They launched at each other with a strength and speed that spoke of honed practice and confidence. The swords clanged together and then they were apart and circling in a beautiful and lethal dance.

Kabaji's sword rang out as a duller and deeper slow tempoed sound while Tezuka wielded his two swords at a faster paced that caused the room to fill with gentle metallic clangs. After a time the two broke apart and Kabaji held up his hand to halt the fight. Tezuka stood from his crouched stance and waited patiently while Kabaji replaced his broadsword with two swords about the same size of Tezuka's but with bigger pommels better suited for Kabaji's larger hands.

There was a different approach to the spar this time. Kabaji seemed to be the more aggressive one while Tezuka stayed his ground and slowly turned to follow Kabaji's path and strikes. It was a cacophony of sound as metal countered and clashed in what seemed to be an escalating pace until a sword went flying to the ground with a deafening noise in the sudden silence.

There was an 'omph' as Kabaji was put to the ground, his second sword held useless at his side as Tezuka trained his own two in a very lethal fashion on his guard. "You were closer that time," Tezuka said before standing.

If that was close, Atobe wondered what it looked like the first time they sparred that way. But if Tezuka said it as closer he would trust him on that. He doubted the other had a reason to lie to his captain of the guard. After all, while he may be able to defeat him swiftly this way, it was clear that they were on more even footing with the weapons of their choice and Atobe suspected if it was Kabaji choosing the weapons that Tezuka would be the one in trouble.

As Tezuka moved both swords to one hand and held the other to help Kabaji up, Atobe started to clap. "That was a very educational performance. Thank you," He said. "We feel most reassured that we will be well protected."

Kabaji gave a nod and then a bow before moving to start tidying up. He didn't mind. Part of Kabaji's charm that was unlike most people in the palace, he did not wish to talk his ear off with mindless things. And when his captain did speak, he knew he should be quiet and listen. Besides, he was sure that Kabaji knew him well enough to know that he would want a moment alone with his advisor.

"You are as good as they say, Tezuka."

"Did you think the former king of Seigaku hired me tutor his son in fighting on looks alone?" Tezuka asked.

Atobe couldn't help but grin at Tezuka so clearly making a joke. A rare thing indeed. "Of course not. But it is one thing to hear about it and another to witness it so closely. You are impressive indeed."

"Thank you, your majesty."  
"We should celebrate such a fine display by enjoying breakfast out in the rose garden. The blooms are quite stunning at this time of day."

"Of course. Shall we go directly or would you like to freshen up first?" Tezuka asked.

The implied question was if he would like Tezuka to freshen up and while he very much enjoyed the thin sweaty shirt look he knew it would not be appropriate attire for breakfast, even a private one in the garden. He also imagined it would not be overly comfortable as it began to dry. "We should both dress for the day. The kingdom waits for nobody, not even its king, to start the day's work. It will also give us time to inform the kitchen of our new breakfast plans."

Tezuka gave a nod at that.

"We shall see you in the gardens in thirty minutes," Atobe said. It would be cutting it close for them both to make it there in time but he could not indulge his own desires before the needs of the kingdom too much in one morning.

"I will see you then, your majesty." Tezuka gave another small bow before turning to gather his things.

It was strange how easily Tezuka could make him feel like the one being dismissed when he was in fact the king.

Deciding that it didn't matter and that his morning was still off to a pleasant start he went to go collect Shishido from Oshitari's grasp and to get ready for his breakfast date.

-0-0-0-0-

Tezuka sat at the table that was prepared with their breakfast and quietly waited for Atobe to arrive. Somehow, he was not at all surprised that Atobe would take longer than his own specified time. A king certainly had to look better presented than a non-noble advisor did. Still, after a morning of training he was hungry and growing impatient to eat, something he couldn't do until the king arrived. The amount of frowning and whispers from the servants in attendance would not be worth it.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Atobe said as he strode into the garden and toward the table.

Tezuka rose and gave a small bow. "A king is never late," He said.

Atobe gave a small laugh at that and gestured for Tezuka to take his seat, doing so as well. He then looked over the table and then at the servants, guards and attendants nearby. "Leave us," He said.

After a moment of exchanged looks and bowing, everyone made their way from the garden. He knew the guards would linger near by just out of sight but he suspected that the staff and attendants at least would be kept further away to allow them a private meal.

"Much better," Atobe said as he relaxed in his chair and began uncovering dishes himself. "Tea?" He asked as he was already pouring himself a cup.

Tezuka nodded and pushed his cup closer to Atobe so he could pour more easily and also started serving himself breakfast. "You're in a good mood today."

"Why wouldn't I be? The weather is lovely, I was treated to a lovely display of swordsmanship and I have only meetings scheduled with my more pleasurable ministers today."

"A good day indeed. Though I hope that does not mean you are excluding ministers again. You do recall what happened last time." It wasn't that long ago that Tezuka, with the help of Oshitari, had discovered that it was two of Atobe's own neglected ministers that were sending him threatening letters. He couldn't quite recall their names but he knew they were from Yamabuki and by some good fortune retained their life as well as their positions. Though they were much removed from court these days.

"I remember. And I am not neglecting anyone. I assure you, tomorrow is filled with tedium and torment."

"Good," Tezuka said, a small smile tugging at his lips at Atobe's put-out look at the comment.

They ate in companionable silence for a few moments before Tezuka felt a tingle of awareness as if they were being watched. He paused and tilted his head as if to help him listen better and then stood. "Get out your dagger," He said as he drew out his sword.

"What is it?" Atobe asked. Tezuka wished he had stayed quiet but was thankful to see he had stood and had his dagger out in front of him. The hilt was heavily ornamented but the blade was sharp and Tezuka knew the king could wield it.

"There's someone here."

"Guards!" Atobe yelled. And while Tezuka appreciated that Atobe trusted him enough to summon the guards over for what could be nothing more than a rabbit he really would have preferred quiet so he could better pinpoint where the danger lay.

Atobe called for the guards again but nobody came. Tezuka knew that meant he hadn't been wrong about an intruder. He just hoped that the guards were just subdued and not killed. But he had no more time to think on it as an assailant appeared from within the bushes.

The man said nothing, merely held a sword in one hand and dagger in the other as he approached with silent steps.

"Stay behind me," Tezuka said as he stepped further from the table and into the clearing. He wish he could ask Atobe for his dagger so that he would be as equally as equipped as the assassin approaching him but he refused to leave Atobe without any means to defend himself. He would make do with the sword and focus on disarming the man as a priority.

"You have failed your mission. Now you must pay," The assassin said as he approached with the reassurance of many years of training.

"That is what the previous one said…" Tezuka said blandly.

"You will find me harder to dispatch."

Tezuka had no time to question if that was true before the man was upon him, sword and dagger moving with deliberate attempts to maim or kill. It was nothing like the friendly spar of this morning. But that was fine with Tezuka. He was trained from the age he could lift a sword. Fighting was in his blood.

Metal on metal rang out in the garden as they swung their swords, parried, reposted and worked to make the first slice. After several rounds they broke apart, both panting for air. "You won't win," Tezuka said. He now had an idea of the man's moves and while they were competent they were repetitive and he was sure he could break through them. Variation was the key to success not just competence.

The man grunted before leaping at Tezuka. In a few more swings, Tezuka hit the other man's hand with the pommel of his sword making the dagger fall to the ground. The assassin looked at the fallen dagger for a moment before redoubling his efforts, pushing Tezuka back and closer to where Atobe was watching. "I don't need to win to kill you," The man said before he managed a small hit on Tezuka's arms.

He winced at the burn of it but didn't let it take his concentration and continued the fight until his sword was held against the other's throat, the assassin's sword joining the dagger on the ground. "Surrender," Tezuka said. It would be good to keep him alive so he could question him about what he said and just how many more assassins the guild would send after him.

"Unlike you, a true assassin never surrenders. And when you're gone, the king will go next."

Tezuka glared and nearly missed the movement of the throwing knife slipping out of the man's cuff but the slight glint of metal in sunlight drew his attention and before he gave it thought, he was stabbing the man threw the heart with his sword. The knife slipped from twitching fingers as the man stared dumbly at Tezuka. "Then I will never be gone," He said quietly as he lowered the man to the ground and then removed his sword.

"Are you okay?" Atobe asked as he came up to him, his eyes were on the body that was dying the white stones of the rose garden with red.

"Yes. You?" Tezuka asked. The king seemed a little breathless but a sudden assassin appearing before you at breakfast often did that to a person.

"Yes, I'm fine. But I shoul-you're bleeding," Atobe said, obviously noticing the cut on his arm for the first time.

"It's nothing. It likely won't even scar," He reassured. "You should check on the guards."

"Yes. We need to take care of this assailant and then see you looked after. I'll be right back." Tezuka watched as Atobe eyed him up once more, obviously looking for any other injuries before giving a nod and turning away to find his guards. Tezuka was pleased to see that he still had his dagger out to his side and that despite everything, Atobe's hand held it firm and steady.

With Atobe gone, Tezuka turned back to the dead man and bent down to investigate. He opened his jacket and checked his pockets. He had a feeling, given the man's words and actions, that his blades had been dipped in poison. If he had any on him it would help him speed the process of identifying it. Coming up with nothing, he then picked up the fallen dagger and held it to the light. There was definitely something on it and Tezuka hoped it was not a fast acting poison. He would need time to get to his room and prepare an antidote.

Trying to identify it, he first brought up the blade and smelled it. There was a faint hint of lavender. He couldn't immediately think of any poisons that should have that scent and gave a long sigh. There were numerous poisons that were clear and had no scent. It was common practice for many in the guild to add hints of scented oils to them to help them differentiate between them. Unfortunately, there was no standardization to them and what one master taught his students might be completely different to the ones Tezuka learned. Clearly there were no clues there.

Next he licked his finger and then ran it gently along the edge to collect some of the poison. He then brought it to his tongue and dabbed it on. It numbed his tongue slightly but there was no distinct flavour. He spat it out and then went to the table to rinse his mouth out thoroughly with the water there.

At the moment, there was no way to identify the poison though he could narrow it down slightly to those without scent or taste. There were a few antidotes he could safely ingest now but he didn't hold much faith in them. Most likely, he would be forced to wait until a symptom appeared to be able to identify it and treat the poison. It was not something he looked forward to.

He was just about to check the body one last time to see if he missed something when several guards burst into the garden followed by Atobe and Oshitari. "No others have come then?" Atobe asked as he walked up to Tezuka.

"No. He was alone."

"How can you be so sure?" Oshitari asked as he walked further into the clearing. He glanced toward the deadman and then turned from him, focusing intently on Tezuka and Atobe instead.

"Assassins always work alone."

"He was from your guild?" Oshitari asked quietly.

"We should finish this conversation in our quarters. The garden is no longer safe and a fresh breakfast will be needed," Atobe said. Obviously he was worried about being overheard and Tezuka had to agree.

"We should bring his blades. There might be identifying marks on them. I found nothing else on the body." There wasn't even any money or other knick knacks that might help him identify the assailant. He certainly hadn't recognized the face though that meant little considering how segregated training could be.

"Kabaji will bring them," Atobe said and got an affirmative reply from his captain. He turned to leave and Tezuka did so as well, followed more slowly by Oshitari.

-0-0-0-0-

Atobe had noticed that Tezuka was starting to pale and breathe a bit harder as they reached his rooms but thought it best not to say anything on the approach. And as they could not yet talk about what had happened, Atobe couldn't ask if Tezuka had known the assassin or if killing a man like that after so long was having an ill effect on him.

When they all entered he turned to Tezuka, prepared to ask him all of those but all the words died in his throat at just how awful Tezuka looked. "Tezuka?" Atobe asked approaching him.

That seemed to roused Tezuka a little from his zoned out state and he looked over at Atobe. "Yes?" He asked.

"Are you well? You look pale."

Tezuka muttered something that he couldn't catch and then brought a shaky hand up to his face to adjust his glasses. "I need to return to my room," He said.

"I don't think that wise. It seems you need a doctor," Oshitari said, moving to block Tezuka's path to the door as the other turned. "If you wait here, I will go fetch the royal doctor."

"No… I need my room," Tezuka said with a little more force to his voice though the words were still mumbled compared to usual.

"You need to sit. You're shaking."

"It's fi-" Tezuka went to turn to face Atobe but it seemed that that swift of a movement was too much and Oshitari only barely managed to catch Tezuka to brace his fall as they both slid to the ground.

Atobe was on his knees beside them in an instant, reaching to loosen Tezuka's jacket and buttons of his collar. "He still breathes," He said after a moment.

He heard Oshitari let out a held breath and then helped him move from under Tezuka. "He's burning up though," Atobe said as he continued examining Tezuka. Still, the only sign of injury he could find was the small scratch to his arm. "Send the guards in to help me move him to the bed then go fetch the doctor." He knew he could send a guard or attendant to do so but he needed a moment alone to compose himself. He was not used to seeing Tezuka looking so helpless. Tezuka had saved his life again and they should be celebrating, not worrying about his life.

"Understood. I'll make him move as fast as he can," Oshitari said and didn't even bother with a bow before he was gone and guards were entering.

-0-0-0-0-

Tezuka let out a startled sound as he jerked awake from a fevered nightmare.

"Tezuka?" Someone asked and Tezuka turned his head and blinked at the figure until Oshitari came into focus.

"Oshitari?" He asked, his voice cracking from the dryness of his throat.

"Yes. Just don't move." A hand was on his chest to keep him in place and he watched as Oshitari turned to yell, "Atobe, quick!"

Oshitari then helped him to drink some water from a nearby cup and Tezuka tried to remember what happened. He didn't recall getting sick… or how he got to Atobe's bedroom let alone his bed. He tried to move his right arm and felt a burn of pain. He looked down and noticed the heavy bandages and this morning's attack started to drift back to him.

"What is it?" Atobe asked as he jogged up to the bed while still in the process of tying his bathrobe around him. Tezuka wondered why he'd been taking a bath at what seemed to be the middle of the day.

"He's awake… I'm not sure how lucid he is."

"Enough…" Tezuka said, his voice a little stronger from the water.

"Good. We need to talk. How are you?" Atobe asked as he nudged Oshitari out of the way to sit on the side of the bed.

"Hot… achey," Tezuka said. He was partially distracted by trying to get his slow moving mind to work at identifying the symptoms he was feeling. He remembered that he was poisoned. But he must have underestimated them if he was knocked out so readily.

"That's to be expected. You have a fever." There was a cool hand on his head as Atobe touched his face as if to see if he still had a fever. "My physician is working on more medicine for you. The first round didn't take. You ended up throwing it all back up on me."

That explained the midday bath. Though Tezuka doubted it was whatever the doctor gave him that made him sick. More likely it was the poison. Or, as he was thinking now, poisons. "Bella-" He cut off as he coughed and Atobe made hushing noises as he tried to get him to drink more water.

"Don't force yourself… take your time," Atobe said.

Tezuka was touched by his gentleness but it was distracting him from his thoughts. It took a few minutes of coaxing before he could find his voice again. "Poison."

"You were poisoned. How?" Oshitari asked as he came up beside Atobe.

Tezuka just looked at his injured arm, hoping the two would understand. "Oshitari, go find the man's blades. Bring them to the doctor to inspect. See if he can find anything."

"Wait… it's… bella..donna," Tezuka said before coughing seized him again.

"You heard him. belladonna. Tell the doctor. But get the blades, too. Just in case," Atobe commanded and this time Oshitari bowed and quickly left the chambers.

"You idiot. You should have said something earlier. You suspected, didn't you?"

Tezuka just nodded, unwilling to risk another coughing fit. He had to save his voice to tell Atobe that there was a second poison.

"It's okay. We'll get the cure and you'll be feeling better the next time you wake."

Tezuka gave him a panicked look. "Wh-"

"Shhh. Just a simple sleeping drought in the water. You've not been yourself since you collapsed. The doctor recommended it."

Tezuka tried to protest but he could already feel sleep clawing at him and with the fever and the coughs he couldn't manage to get more than a word out. "Two… two," He said twice before he slumped back onto the pillows. As blackness overwhelmed him he heard Atobe's soothing voice and felt cool touches and was positive that the other hadn't understood.


	8. The Smallest Things - 2

Atobe was finding it difficult to not growl at his physician. The man had administered the antidote to belladonna hours ago and while Tezuka seemed to be sleeping more easily his fever was still strong and his breathing remained laboured.

"You must have done something wrong," Atobe said.

"I assure you, your majesty, I gave him the exact antidote that is required to treat belladonna poisoning."

"Then you missed something." Atobe was pacing by the bed as he spoke. He felt too helpless to be still.

"The man was an assassin. Could he have had more than one poison on his blade?" Oshitari asked.

Atobe was about to call him a fool and say that Tezuka would have said if he suspected more than one and then he remembered the words Tezuka had said before he fell asleep. He didn't think they meant anything. But it was the number two he was talking about, quite likely in relation to the poisoning.

He silently called himself a fool as he spun to stare down the doctor. "Work on the assumption there is a second poison. Do the symptoms resemble anything?"

"There are hundreds of poisons, your majesty. And with the belladonna mixed in, it can cause confusion. An antidote could just as likely kill him as save him if it's the wrong one."

"I won't give up on him. What is the good of being king if we cannot find the cause of this fever and fix it?" Atobe asked.

The elderly doctor nodded. It was clear he was tense but he had served royalty for a long time and was used to their fiery tempers and demands. Atobe appreciated that even if he did wish the doctor would get as upset as he felt.

"We'll do what we can to control the fever and keep Tezuka comfortable to give you the most time to find a cure, doctor. We believe in you," Oshitari said as he rose from the chair he'd been occupying for the past hour.

"Of course. I'll send up an apprentice with some more medicines to help within the hour," The doctor said and bowed before he left quickly to return to his rooms and books.

Atobe turned to look at Oshitari and then sighed. "I'm worried."

"Don't be. Your physician is the best and you can afford any of the exotic cures he may come up with," Oshitari said. He moved to place a hand on Atobe's shoulder. "You need to eat."

"How can I eat when he lay dying?" Atobe asked.

"Because you are a king and you need your strength for the kingdom and for Tezuka if he needs you."

He hated when Oshitari spoke sense. Especially when it meant doing something he had no interest in. "Fine. But have it brought here. I don't wish to leave him. He may wake again and be able to tell us something. I believe he knew about the second poison."

"Really? How?"

"He was going on about two before sleep took him. I didn't realize what it was in reference to until now." Atobe sat carefully on the bed and took Tezuka's hand, willing him to wake and tell him more.

"And he said nothing more?"

"How could he? Between the coughing and the sleep drought he never had the chance. Damn it, Oshitari. What if we sentenced him to death from kindness?" Atobe's voice was strained but his voice remained low and his touch gentle on Tezuka's hand. His anger was turned inside.

"We didn't know. And he'll wake again, Atobe. Believe in that."

"That's all I can do…" They stayed in silence for some time, the only noise was Tezuka's breathing an equally terrifying and comforting sound.

"Oshitari?"

"Yes, Atobe?" Oshitari asked, moving closer.

"Go get us supper. And tell the doctor no more sleeping droughts."

"Of course, my king," Oshitari said. He gave Atobe one more friendly pat on the shoulder before leaving.

Atobe turned back to Tezuka and squeezed his hand a little harder as he leaned in to speak in his ear. "You're not allowed to die Tezuka. You are still within my service and I will have you see through it."

He couldn't be sure that it was not just wishful thinking but he swore there was a light squeeze in return to his hand.

-0-0-0-0-

"Are you sure he said his bed?" Oshitari asked as he lay sprawled on the ground beneath the bed. "There's nothing under here."

"I'm not the one with the fever. I heard perfectly well." Atobe was investigating the headboard while Kabaji held up a lamp to provide more light so he wouldn't miss any secret compartments.

"Perhaps he wasn't aware of what he was saying." Oshitari looked once more before making his way out from under the bed with his own light.

"He wanted to return here from the start. It would make sense that an assassin would keep his own supply of poisons and antidotes near at hand."

"Yes. But we've searched and there's nothing here and certainly nothing beneath the bed."

"I refuse to give up. This could be the difference between life and death," Atobe said. He then tossed the pillows from the bed and began stripping it of its bedding. "I will dismantle all of it and tear up the ground beneath it if I must."

Kabaji gave a nod and began tugging free the bedding as well. He looked at Atobe as he pulled out his knife and Atobe gave a nod. If they were going to check every inch of the bed they would check inside the mattress, too. Tezuka wasn't just a normal lord or advisor. He was a trained assassin who lived his whole life as a secret. They were foolish to think a secret box filled with poisons and antidotes would be tucked under the pillows or somewhere else as obvious.

As they searched the shredded mattress the only thing they discovered was a knife tucked away in a pocket sewn discreetly into the side of the mattress that met the headboard. Atobe held it in his hands and pondered it for a moment. He could easily imagine Tezuka sitting on the chair across the room and quietly watching the maids as they worked on changing his linens and making his bed. Tezuka would act as if he was taking a break and reading a book but all the while he would be watching how the maids worked and moved. Where their hands touched and how long they lingered on the bed before deciding where to place such instruments.

Atobe was sure that if the knife had been discovered the maids would not have been frightened by it. There was more than one paranoid lord and lady in the palace that enjoyed keeping weapons close at hand. But the gossip would have made its rounds and the maids would have assessed Tezuka's threat to their king and possibly have told the captain of the guard about it. And while Kabaji and Tezuka seemed to be on good terms, Atobe was sure his captain would have mentioned that Tezuka kept himself armed even at night. Not that it should matter, ever since Tezuka returned successful from Seigaku he had never insisted his advisor be unarmed in his presence.

Realizing he had drifted off in his thoughts. And that thinking of Tezuka and is brilliant assassin mind wasn't helping him decipher said mind he set the knife down on the nightstand and tugged at the shreds of the mattress until it was fully off the bed. They were greeted with the base of the bed frame and Atobe frowned. There had to be something here.

"Perhaps…" Oshitari said and without finishing the thought he moved to the bed and knocked on the wood the mattress had lain on. "Hmmm…." He continued knocking coming across more solid sounds where the beams would logically be but in one corner it was a dense sound for a much larger area.

Oshitari immediately looked up at Atobe who turned to look at Kabaji. "Can you pull this up?"

Kabaji sheathed his knife and moved toward the bed.

"Wait. We don't want to hurt the contents," Oshitari warned and began running his hands along the wood. "Tezuka wouldn't want to have to break into his stores every time he needed a poison or antidote. There must be a way to peacefully open it."

"Kabaji," Atobe said. They both moved to opposite corners, sliding their hands along the wood, looking for any indication that they could raise the board.

"Here," Kabaji said. He pointed to a small hole that had looked like a knot in the wood before Kabaji had pointed it out. Atobe walked over to it and examined it a moment before sliding his finger into it and curling it up and tugging the wood. A large piece of the panel lifted out, revealing that it had not been one solid piece after all.

"When did he have time to do this?" Oshitari wondered as he watched another piece be pulled away.

"We may have underestimated him," Atobe said. He had thought he had done no such thing with all of the work he has asked Tezuka to accomplish for him. But somehow the man had managed some very impressive custom woodworking to happen on his bed inside the palace grounds in the wing designated for the king's personal use and nobody had noticed. "Oshitari, if you lift that panel, I believe the solid object will be beneath it."

Oshitari nodded and carefully pulled back the third panel and set it inside. Beneath it sat an innocuous looking box that was plain but for a few simple carvings of leaves on the top. Oshitari lifted it out and brought it to the table in the room and gently set it down. "Now what?"

"We open it. Don't give me that look, Kabaji. I doubt it will kill me." Or at least Atobe hoped it would not kill him. And he would hardly demand someone else to do it to save the life of a man who once tried to kill him. Tezuka may have got Oshitari and Kabaji to warm up to him but he had no desire to see just how far the rebuilding of trust had come between three people he considered important to him.

Moving to the side of the box, he undid the latch at the front and opened it, careful to keep clear of the front. Nothing happened. Even when the lid was completely off the box remained the same without any noticeable traps activating. "It seems I was correct."

"So it seems. But do you understand any of this?" Oshitari asked as he looked into the neatly organized box. Everything was labelled but not in any discernible language that Atobe could understand.

"Should we bring it to the doctor?" He trusted the royal physician enough to at least know that Tezuka had an interest in herbs or poisons. He was sure that would be enough of an explanation to keep the doctor focused on healing and not asking questions.

"I'm not sure even he would know what to do with this. The second poison has been baffling him from the start… would he really be able to identify the cure."

"Then you want the person who is feverish and dying to be able to identify his own salvation?" Atobe asked, tempted to laugh at Oshitari.

"I would trust him more, even in his current condition, to identify the right poison and antidote then I would most, Atobe. You know he's skilled with such things. And he's clearly known from the start what he needs. He's just been unable to get there. Mostly do to our interference with drugging him to sleep."

Atobe sighed. He hated when Oshitari was right. But he still felt better having a trained professional treating Tezuka than letting the fevered man do it himself. But he supposed if they were talking of poisons there was nobody more professional at hand than Tezuka himself.

"Fine. Kabaji, carry that as carefully as you can to my quarters. Oshitari, go fetch the doctor. Tell him we have a possible antidote ready and I want him there to assist. Tezuka may require further intervention." He did not know what side effects may happen or if Tezuka would need help administering the antidote.

-0-0-0-0-

Atobe paced his room as he waited for the doctor to arrive and Tezuka to wake up. He hoped the doctor brought smelling salts or whatever he could that would help rouse Tezuka to a more lucid state. The most he had got was incoherent babble as Tezuka shifted in his sleep. He wasn't even sure if Tezuka knew it was him that was trying to wake him.

Atobe was not used to feeling helpless and he didn't like it one bit.

"You have the antidote?" The doctor asked after giving a quick bow as he dashed into the room, only slightly breathless from his run.

"We do. But we don't know which one it is," Atobe admitted and gestured to the box.

The doctor was there in an instant, hovering over it, looking at it all, and gently running his fingers along the packages and bottles. "I can't say I'm familiar with all of these. How do you know the antidote is in here?"

"Tezuka has an interest in poisons and herbal remedies. He told me in a lucid moment where to find this. I believe he knows which one would cure him."

"Ah…" The doctor said and moved towards the bed. "You need him awake."

"And as lucid as you can get him. We don't need him making a mistake."

"No… that would be quite bad." The doctor turned and went to his bag. "He'll be in pain… and we won't have much time…"

Atobe tensed at that but gave a terse nod. "Understood. We'll bring the box close and be ready for it." Atobe gestured to Kabaji to get the box again and hold it closer to the side of the bed, ready for when it was needed.

The doctor was currently grinding something with his pestle and mortar, and Atobe watched with a sense of growing impatience and nervousness. He slid onto the bed beside Tezuka and took his hand, preparing himself to direct Tezuka's attention on him and the antidote and hopefully away from any confusion or pain.

"Alright. I'm ready. I'm going to have him breathe this in. The reaction will be sudden but short. Make it count, your majesty," The doctor said. He moved into position on the other side of the bed and waited for Atobe to gesture to start.

Atobe signalled that the doctor should start and then waited for something to happen. Just when he was beginning to think that too much time had passed and his doctor was becoming senile in his old age and had no idea what he was doing anymore, Tezuka gasped and shot up.

The doctor pushed gently on his chest until Tezuka was back down on the pillows and Atobe immediately called his name to get his attention. He wasn't sure how aware Tezuka was and he did not need the assassin lashing out at his non-senile doctor and hurting him. "Tezuka. I need you to focus on me," Atobe said as Tezuka turned to look at him.

"At-" Tezuka's voice was hoarse and Atobe held up a hand to stop him from straining himself and coughing again.

"Yes. You were poisoned. Do you remember?"

Tezuka's eyes seemed to glaze over for a moment and Atobe was starting to wonder if a fever or delirium still gripped him when Tezuka gave a nod.

"With two poisons. We treated the belladonna. What's the second? And what cures it. We brought your box." Atobe said and gestured for Kabaji to bring it close. Tezuka looked between the box and Atobe before turning to his left arm.

"I need to see it," Tezuka said as quietly as possible. It still caused him to cough, the resulting movement making him cringe in pain. Clearly even Tezuka couldn't pretend he felt nothing when the pain spiked.

"Doctor, remove the bandages." The doctor reached out and carefully unwrapped the wound and revealed the cut that had blackened around the edge and was looking sore. Atobe tried not to make a face at the look of it.

"Fiddleback," Tezuka said. Atobe had no idea what he was referring to but he saw a light of recognition in the doctor's eyes and figured that he must at least understand. He tried to lift his arm toward the medicines but hissed and let it drop.

"Kabaji, bring it closer."

Kabaji nodded and leaned onto the bed to gently set the case down on Tezuka's lap. This time, Tezuka moved his right arm that wasn't injured and after moving a few things around pulled out what he wanted and handed it to the doctor. "Make a paste… with water… on the cut…" He said.

He was starting to break out in a sweat and Atobe hated to see him struggle to do something so simple. But his care would just further hinder him so he stayed quiet as he watched Tezuka pick something else.

"One spoon for one glass of water." Tezuka looked away as he coughed but even without seeing the pained expression, Atobe didn't miss the groan or pained gasp.

"I understand. Lay back and try to rest, Tezuka. When you wake next, you'll be on your way to recovery."

"The cut…" Tezuka started but the doctor held up a hand.

"I know how to treat it. Don't worry. It won't spread. Though I'm afraid you may scar." The doctor's eyes flicked briefly to Atobe, clearly wondering if he would have a problem with his lover having a scar.

Deciding it was not worth the effort to lecture the doctor on how he was not so shallow, Atobe ignored it and reached out to pat Tezuka's right hand as Kabaji took away the box. "The doctor will take good care of you, Tezuka. There's no need to worry."

Tezuka nodded and settled back down on the pillows, his breathing laboured once more and looking exhausted by the few minutes of talking.

"I need to run my country but I'm sure I'll be back by the time you wake again. Perhaps you will be up for sharing a meal by then." He wasn't sure Tezuka could handle real food yet but he would consider even getting soup broth into Tezuka a victory at this point.

But instead of letting go of Tezuka's hand and leaving as he had planned , he found Tezuka's hand moving to the cuff of his shirt sleeve and holding on.

"Did you need something?"

Tezuka didn't answer and after a moment of looking into Atobe's eyes turned his face away and just gave Atobe's cuff another tug as if to pull him down.

Atobe smiled as he realized that Tezuka was asking him to stay with him even if he could not say the words directly. "I suppose I can review some papers while in the comfort of my room. I admit, I didn't sleep well yesterday," Atobe said airily as he moved carefully onto the bed. "Oshitari, you will go with Kabaji and bring me back the supplies I'll need to do some work."

"Yes, your majesty," Oshitari said with a smirk and a bow.

Atobe could tell that Oshitari wanted to say more but thankfully refrained himself. He didn't know if Tezuka was just growing comfortable with him or if it was just the exhaustion of these poisons and perhaps even fear of the pain that had Tezuka seeking out his comfort. It would give him something to ponder as he watched the doctor do his work and while he waited for Oshitari to return with something to distract his mind. Fortunately, the powder that the doctor had used to wake Tezuka up seemed to be fading as Tezuka's eyes closed and he slumped further into the pillows. It didn't appear to be the most restful sleep but it would hopefully spare him memory of the pain of the recovery.

Still resting his hand on Tezuka's, Atobe realized just how thankful he was that Tezuka would survive and did not seem to hold the incident against him. He would have to find a suitable way to thank the man for stopping the assassin and see that their bargain still held. He was not ready to lose his advisor nor his life. Not with so many possibilities ahead of them.

-0-0-0-0-

Atobe set down the paper he had been reading on his desk and moved over to the bed as Tezuka begun to stir. "Tezuka?" He asked as the other man opened his eyes.

Tezuka had woken several times over the last few days, each time he was in less pain and had managed to stay lucid and awake for longer. The doctor was optimistic that he would be up and about before the week's end.

"Atobe?" Tezuka asked and once more tried to raise his left arm to his face before noticing the sling and bandages and moving his right instead. Atobe stayed silent as it was clear from the frown on Tezuka's face that he was thinking. Putting everything that he remembered back into place before once more looking at him. "You stayed."

"For the most part. A king can't escape all of his duties. Though I did have a desk brought in so I'd be more productive." He hadn't quite held meetings in his bedroom but it was close with a few briefings with ministers held in his anterooms. He had also put in some appearances at dinner and the receiving room but had, as much as possible, made himself available in case Tezuka awoke.

"Of course," Tezuka said. And then spotting the water on the table to his right reached out and carefully brought it to his lips. His hand was shaking slightly and while Atobe wanted to help him he knew it was important for Tezuka to have his pride.

"How are you feeling this morning?" It was still morning, if only just. Hopefully Tezuka would remain awake long enough to get some food into him when the servants brought lunch up shortly.

"Better. I may try for a bath later…"

Atobe nodded. He could only imagine how Tezuka must be feeling after so long without being properly cleaned. Half done sponge baths from the doctor and his apprentice hardly counted in Atobe's book. "If you need any assistance I could help you or call a servant to assist."

"Thank you." Tezuka set his water back down on the table and after moving a pillow behind him sighed as he leaned back.

"It really should be me thanking you, Tezuka."

Tezuka opened his eyes that had begun to slide close and looked over at him.

"You saved my life. That assassin had disarmed my guards and out in the rose garden by the time anyone else noticed something was wrong, I would have been dead." Atobe had had far too much time to think about that morning since it had happened and he knew it was only Tezuka's instincts and honed skills that made sure he was still here.

Atobe moved closer to the bed and sat gently on the edge of it and took Tezuka's right hand in his own. "I know this means your debt to me might be paid but I hope you will give me some time yet to enjoy this gift you have given to me. I'm not quite as ready to meet my end as I had thought I would be when your debt was finally repaid," Atobe said honestly.

Tezuka was silent for a long moment and Atobe was just starting to wonder if Tezuka was already plotting his murder and return to the assassin's guild when he spoke. "The oath remains."

"But you saved my life, Tezuka. I was there."

"No. I saved my life. Saving yours was just an added benefit," Tezuka said.

"What do you mean?" He recalled that the two assassins had talked but he was sure it was just the usual banter before the assassin dispatched Tezuka so he could deal with his real target, the king of Hyoutei.

"He was not the first person to come after me since I failed to kill you."

Atobe felt Tezuka's fingers move in his hand and that's when he realized he had started gripping them in anger at only just finding out that Tezuka had been placed in mortal danger while under his protection on more than one occasion. He loosened his grip and didn't fight it when Tezuka moved his hand back to his lap.

"In their eyes, I am a traitor. And since I've returned from Seigaku and it was clear that I was working for you and not against you I have become an enemy to the assassins' guild."

The way Tezuka so matter of factly explained it unsettled Atobe but he knew if he spoke now that Tezuka would stop talking. He had learned that if given the time and silence to form his words and think, Tezuka would sometimes share what Atobe wanted to know.

"This was the third attempt. One had put poison in my food that I discovered before I consumed. It was easy work to find out what kitchen hand was new and deal with the culprit. The second one was an archer... "

"That scratch on your face…" Atobe said. There was a time a few weeks ago that Tezuka had come to a meeting with a fresh scratch still red and bleeding slightly on his cheek. When asked about it he mentioned riding too close to some low hanging tree branches and getting caught by one. A believable enough excuse. To hear it was an arrow that had so narrowly missed did not comfort Atobe at all.

"Yes. It was fortunate that the guild had sent such low level assassins to deal with me. I hope they will grow bored with losing their own for nothing… from what I remember the last had been quite skilled." Not skilled enough to have a chance of winning, even with cheating but skilled enough that the guild might think twice about their current tactics.

"I'm going to assign you a guard," Atobe said.

"And have them die for no reason?" Tezuka countered.

"It would not be for no reason."

"They would be in the way. They would be the first targets and then they would go after me. It's best I handle them on my own as I've been doing. I'm sorry you were involved this last time."

"You're sorry?" Atobe asked a bit shocked by the words.

Tezuka frowned and nodded. "Of course. I owe you a life debt. I would never wish to bring harm to you."

Atobe laughed as Tezuka so clearly misunderstood Atobe's surprise. "No. That's not it at all," He said. "I'm the one who should be apologizing to you. I feel so unworthy of you after watching you suffer through those poisons. You would have been able to handle it yourself if we hadn't tried so hard to help you."

Tezuka's frown slowly went away and Atobe could almost see the start of a smile on the lips. "Perhaps I'm also to blame… I have a habit of being stubborn."

Atobe wondered just where Tezuka had been stubborn but nodded in understanding anyway. If Tezuka wanted to share the burden of guilt over what happened in the garden and following then this time Atobe would let him.

"Next time, if there's a next time, we'll both do better. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Tezuka said.

-0-0-0-0-

Tezuka stood helplessly as Atobe did up the buttons of his jacket for him and then helped to ease his arm back into the sling. "Okay. That should do it," Atobe said.

It was the first day that Tezuka was going to be outside of the king's rooms and had to be dressed accordingly. They would go for a brief walk outside, well guarded, and then if Tezuka was feeling up for it they would either go to the office to do a little business or indulge in some afternoon tea with the attendants and some ladies of the court. They were all anxious to see Atobe's advisor and press him for the story of his bravery.

So if Atobe had taken a little extra time making sure that Tezuka looked healthy and well put together he could hardly be blamed for it. He had also insisted doing it himself, much to his attendants' amusement. He would not trust an injured Tezuka to his foolish attendants. They could make even the fittest of people feel unwell after long enough in their helpful presence.

"I'm afraid I won't be much good to you for a while," Tezuka said as he adjusted his hair a little in front of the full length mirror. The white of his sling a stark contrast to the navy jacket he wore.

"Nonsense, Tezuka. You're more useful to me than just by swinging a sword. And this means you'll have a legitimate reason to decline Seigaku's silly little invitation to their tournament." The official invitation had come in the mail before the incident and Atobe had not been sure if he could order Tezuka to not go without causing any trouble between them or between Hyoutei and Seigkau. While he would no wish for Tezuka to become sick or injured, he could at least take advantage of it.

"Feeling jealous?"

Atobe could see that Tezuka was watching him through the reflection of the mirror and waved his hand as if brushing aside the words as if they had a physical presence. "Of that brat? Ridiculous. Hyoutei offers far more than Seigaku ever could."

"I don't know... The previous king was quite generous with his compensation." Tezuka turned then and walked toward the desk where the invitation was tucked away under some other papers that had all made their way up here in the last few days.

"Then I'll double whatever you're being paid now." Atobe was sure that would easily make him the most generous and Tezuka would forget all about that boring little invite.

"Hmm I see. Well my king, what is two times zero?"

"Wait. What did you say?" Atobe was sure he heard wrong. And not just because he was sure that that had been a teasing tone in Tezuka's voice.

"Two times zero?"

No. That was definitely a teasing tone. And apparently he wasn't generous at all. But there was something even more intriguing than all of that. "Before that." He could barely keep the grin off of his face.

Tezuka tilted his head in confusion.

"You said my king. That's the first you've ever claimed me as yours," Atobe said. The grin finally breaking out across his face.

"It means nothing," Tezuka said far too quickly for Atobe to believe anything.

A long moment of silence passed between them as they eyed each other up before Atobe spoke. "If you insist." Sometimes it was better to concede. It didn't matter if he would admit to it. They both knew that Tezuka was lying. That was enough for now. "Now about me not paying you. Is that true?"

"Quite true. I have no need to lie about such things," Tezuka said. Clearly relieved to be back on safe footing if the slight relaxing of the crease between his eyes was an indication.

"Well that's one thing I can fix. And then we can go shopping with your new pay."

Tezuka shook his head and gave a sigh but there was a sparkle in his eyes and a smile tugging at his lips that made Atobe think that today was going to be a good day.

"Come. Let's go to the garden and we can discuss how much you think your services are worth to the kingdom," Atobe said.

Tezuka gave a nod and set the invitation from Seigaku back down before heading out of the rooms with Atobe for the first time in over week. Until then, Atobe hadn't realized just how much he had missed that. And he quite hoped that Tezuka didn't know that. It would make him have quite the unfair advantage when it came to pay negotiations after all.

-end-


	9. The Contract

Tezuka leaned against the stone wall and looked out over the expanse of the palace grounds and city all the way to the docks. He couldn't make out any details that far away and even the large ships coming and going within the harbour were nearly indistinguishable but he was sure they would recognize the emperor of Rikkai's vessel when it arrived. Tezuka figured they would have about an hour from that point until they would be expected to greet the emperor and his entourage.

He still didn't like that Atobe had issued such a bold invitation to Rikkai or that the emperor and his trusted advisor were both coming to visit but he had no power to change that and all he could do was hope that Atobe would be prepared for the visit and that Hyoutei would not succumb to the power of the empire.

"Ah, here you are," Atobe said as he stepped out onto the highest balcony of the tower. "We brought refreshments." And obviously taking that as their cue, the staff sprung into action. They brought up a small table, folded out two chairs and then piled the table high with a full afternoon course.

It was clear that Atobe had known exactly where to find him and had plans to join him with the harbour watching until they were pulled away. "Thank you," Atobe said to the servants as they finished placing cushions upon the chairs. "You may all leave us. We're sure our advisor will protect us from any birds who stray too close."

Tezuka noted that a couple of Atobe's attendants chuckled and shared knowing looks before leaving behind the staff. The last to go, as usual, was the captain of the guard, Kabaji. Tezuka was sure that he would either be just outside the door or guarding the entrance to the small room, and the only access point, that led to this balcony.

"It's a beautiful day, is it not?" Atobe asked as he moved beside Tezuka and leaned out over the wall to take in the full view of his city.

"It is," Tezuka agreed. He could feel Atobe's arm brushing against his despite the layers of fabric they both wore, and casually leaned a little closer toward Atobe. "Are you ready for the emperor?"

Atobe didn't look at him, but Tezuka knew he still had the other's full attention, especially as the weight of the king against him became heavier as the other leaned more fully against his side. "Physically, I believe all of the staff, guards, and citizens are prepared. Mentally? Well I'm not quite sure what to encounter. Everyone I speak to seems to have differing views of the emperor, his advisor and the whole empire. Except for you…. you've been awfully quiet on the situation other than helping with cultural and cuisine choices."

"I was one of the only people on your council with real experience inside of the empire. It seemed prudent to help you discern true cultural norms from those that had been exaggerated and to help your chef prepare menus that would please all in attendance," Tezuka said. He saw nothing wrong with giving such practical advice. The whole point of this invitation was to foster goodwill between the two nations. Hyoutei did not want to become locked in the sights of Rikkai's ever expanding empire.

"And exactly how long were you there?" Atobe asked, fixing his gaze on Tezuka's. It was not the first time Atobe had asked but Tezuka felt that this time the other would not be satisfied until he got the full answer. Or at least something closer to it.

"Shall we sit and enjoy the tea?" Tezuka asked. He took Atobe's hand to help stop any protests and led him the few steps to the table. He made sure the king was seated comfortably before taking his own. He then poured tea for them both, ignoring Atobe's impatient stare. He figured he had until he passed the cream before Atobe grew annoyed at his silence.

"I'm still waiting, Tezuka," Atobe said. He put in just a dash of cream before bringing the tea up to his lips and taking a sip. His eyes never left Tezuka and unlike other times when the silence stretched, he did not try to fill it with other things.

Tezuka was still sure he could have turned the conversation to something else if he really wanted to. But with Rikkai closing in on them, he knew that such duplicity would not help. He was not sure how Sanada would react to seeing him here, though he was sure that Rikkai's diplomats or spies had already told the other of his presence. And if Sanada would have forewarning it was best to make sure Atobe was prepared for any words that Sanada might say to him, too. It would not look good for Atobe's supposed trusted advisor and lover to be keeping such secrets from him.

"If I had to pick one country to call my home country, it would be Rikkai," Tezuka finally said.

"Not Seigaku?" Atobe asked. Tezuka had often talked about Seigaku when he visited Hyoutei as a child and young teen and his numerous connections and reputation in the capital and with the nobles is what had helped him so easily assassinate the previous ruler of that kingdom but it was just another country to visit during his family's travels.

"I spent a lot of time there but no family or history ties me to that kingdom," Tezuka said. He picked up a scone from one of the platters and moved it to his plate and prepared it. As he spooned on some clotted cream and jam he considered his next words. It was not exactly a secret but it was also not an advertised truth. But as he had broken so many other rules with Atobe and did not see himself ever being warmly invited back into the folds of the assassin's guild he could see no harm in sharing more of their truths. "The assassin's guild and the emperor of Rikkai have a long standing pact. He grants us immunity to live quietly in his city and we accept no contracts on him or the royal family."

Tezuka watched as Atobe took in those words. He could see the thoughts moving behind icy blue eyes and could already guess some of the thoughts that the other was thinking. As a monarch, he was sure that Atobe could see the appeal to such a risky deal. The many benefits of being safe from assassins, to having a potential personal army of trained killers in your city and ready to fight to defend it if it came to that. And as a monarch who did not have those assassins he was also probably thinking of the dangers involved in such a deal. He waited, patiently enjoying his scone, for Atobe to ask what Tezuka was sure would be the first of many questions.

"Was it Sanada who sent you after me?" Atobe asked.

"No. In fact, part of the bargain with the emperor is that for the immunity he and those he name get, they sacrifice the ability to take contracts out with us."

"I see… Then I am once more back to pondering who would see me assassinated since you will not share the name of your contractor."

Tezuka didn't apologize or offer any hints. It would do nobody any good for Atobe to know who wanted him dead at that time. It really only mattered that he was not and that Tezuka would allow no others to be successful in where he had failed.

Seeing as no answers were forthcoming, Atobe sighed and reached for a biscuit while shaking his head. One would think he would be used to dealing with him by now, but Tezuka decided that monarchs had an inability to accept that they could not always get their way. "So as Rikkai is your home, does that mean you are personally familiar with the royal family or do the assassins train in some little village far away from the excitement and intrigue of court?"

And this was one of the questions that Tezuka was not looking forward to. It meant admitting more of his past than he had really shared with anyone. This, put together with all of the other things Atobe had pieced together over time together meant that he would know much more about him and his history than he was fully comfortable with. But it was the price he owed for Atobe saving his life not once, but twice. While he could now spar and would be able to fight against most swordsmen, his arm was still not fully recovered from the assassination attempt against his own life. And it was only through Atobe's determination that he was here at all. It seemed that while working to pay off his original debt, he was only becoming more indebted to the Hyoutei king. And horribly, Tezuka found himself not at all opposed to this. Even if it meant sharing secrets he rarely spoke of.

"Sanada and I, on occasion, played together as children." There was no point dancing around the things that Atobe wanted to know by admitting that he had trained mostly in the city and had learned a lot of his training while at the court of the Rikkai empire.

"Does the emperor not even know the members of the assassin guild then? Surely even with the protections granted him and his family the previous emperor would not approve of his son playing with an assassin in training."

Tezuka shook his head and smiled a little. "The emperors and their inner council are privy to a lot of information about the assassin's guild. But I doubt even together they could accurately name everyone associated with the assassins. Still… some assassins are famed throughout the empire and are honoured guests at the palace. While others are so secretive about their true identity that they are seen as nothing more than a valued noble guest."

Atobe hummed in thought as he sipped his tea. Tezuka knew the other had become fascinated with the workings of the assassin's guild since the previous assassination attempt. And with Rikkai just hours away from arriving, it was no wonder the other was pondering everything that Tezuka said thoughtfully.

"Which one were you?" Atobe finally asked.

"Both… in a way. Obviously as a child I had no fame of my own."

"How could you be both?"

"My mother was a famed assassin and my paternal grandfather was a highly valued guest at all of the big festivities," Tezuka explained. He hid his smile and desire to laugh behind his tea cup as Atobe's eyes grew wide. Clearly he had not thought Tezuka's mother was the reason he was involved as an assassin.

"Your mother? Not your father?"

"While my father eventually took the assassin's oath to completely be with my mother, he was never as skilled. Nor do I think he enjoyed it as much as my mother. They grew up in different worlds and it was only a chance encounter that brought them together," Tezuka explained. He did not want to go into too many details about his parents' love life as he had a feeling it would find a way to Oshitari's ears and somehow to a court entertainer who would turn it into a long waxing ballad. Also, speaking of his parents and how they met and their arduous journey to being together seemed too intimate a conversation.

"Your history is even more intriguing than I imagined," Atobe said. "Though I wish you would have told me about your familiarity with the emperor beforehand. Will you being here cause any troubles?"

"No. Though he may be curious," Tezuka said. They had not been overly close, even as children when Sanada was just the second son and unlikely to rule. He expected to be remembered and was sure Sanada would have questions but he didn't see it causing troubles for the two nations or embarrassing Atobe in anyway.

"Curiosity I can handle. And perhaps your acquaintance with him, no matter how little you believe it, will be an asset in our talks."

"It's doubtful. The emperor is not a man to mix personal affairs and politics." And he personally did not look forward to a private meeting with Sanada where he had to extol the wonders of the king of Hyoutei and the beautiful kingdom. No matter what he felt about Atobe, he would not pretend the other had no flaws or that the deals he wanted to propose to Rikkai would have more advantages than they did. There was a reason he had trained to become an assassin and not sought to follow his paternal side's career paths. He could pretend to be an advisor quite convincingly but he did not long for a life of politics and court intrigue.

"We shall just have to see then," Atobe said. And Tezuka fully expected to be conveniently left alone with Sanada with key talking points drilled into him. Perhaps they could pass the time discussing how the bonsai collection at the palace in Rikkai were faring then.

"Is there anything else I should know before they arrive? I hope your next tidbit will not be that you are Yukimura's cousin or engaged to some princess of the empire." Atobe was teasing but Tezuka could see the seriousness in his gaze as blue eyes met his.

"No. Not that I'm aware of. I was really nothing more than a passing figure in the courts. I'm sure most have forgotten all about me," Tezuka said.

Atobe gave a chuckle and stood with his tea. "Oh, I doubt that. You're many things, Tezuka. But I would not say easily forgettable is one of them." He moved to the wall and leaned against it, taking in the view of the balcony and not the kingdom behind him.

"You flatter. But as an assassin, I pride myself on not being noticed unless I want to." Tezuka didn't fidget over Atobe's continued gaze but he did wonder just what the monarch was seeing with his sharp insights.

"Then you must enjoy the attention even more than myself," Atobe said. He set his tea cup down on the ledge the stone wall made and moved toward Tezuka. "Because I always notice you, Tezuka."

"Ah…" Tezuka said somewhat inelegantly. He moved to stand from his chair but Atobe had already put a hand against his chest, forcing him to sit back again. "Atobe?" He questioned softly. He was not worried about what would come from this encounter, merely curious as to where the king was taking it.

"Tezuka, I don't care if you consider Rikkai your home country or if you and Sanada share all of the history in the world. I want you to remember that you are mine. And you belong to Hyoutei until I otherwise release you," Atobe said in a voice that was a mixture of haughty king and shy lover.

Tezuka found the combination intriguing as it was something he had never really seen from Atobe before and gave a small nod. Despite the ridiculousness of the reminder, he could not dispute that he did, more or less, belong to the king until he repaid his life debts to him. "I understand."

"Good. But just to make sure…" Atobe's voice drifted off as he slid his hand up from Tezuka's chest to his shoulder to brace himself as he leaned down to press their lips together.

Tezuka had kissed others before, either through his own desire or because the easiest way to fulfill his assignment was to play the role of an amourous boyfriend. But never had a simple kiss quite made him feel like this. His thoughts scattered and the only one that remained was how soft Atobe's lips were and how he must have gone for a walk through the greenhouses before coming up here to smell so strongly of roses at this time of the year.

Before he could think to act, Atobe was already pulling his lips away. "I expected you to be more…. assertive," Atobe said with a light chuckle. He was still close enough that Tezuka could feel the exhaled breath against his cheek.

"You surprised me," Tezuka answered honestly.

"I surprised the great assassin, Tezuka Kunimitsu?" There was another breathy laugh before Atobe pulled back a bit further so that they could see each other.

"It has been known to happen." Tezuka tried not to lick his lips to see if he could taste Atobe on them. He was also quite thankful that he did not blush easily.

"I hope it was not an unpleasant surprise."

Tezuka considered the words. The kiss itself had been horribly brief but nice so that was certainly not unpleasant. And he couldn't say he was surprised to finally be kissed by the king. He may not be as well versed in romance as Oshitari but even he knew that Atobe and himself had been dancing around this moment for quite some time. But were the implications from such an action unpleasant?

"Not at all," Tezuka finally said and received a large smile from Atobe in response.

"Good. Then I expect you'll be less surprised when it happens again."

Tezuka noted the when and not if. It seems that even though he had been passive during the kiss that Atobe had also found it satisfactory enough to do again. "Of course…" And because he could and because he knew what it would do the other, he quietly added on, "My king." Before turning his attention once more to his scone.

Even without directly looking, it was impossible to miss the satisfied smile on Atobe's face before he turned and went back to the edge of the balcony where his tea, likely quite cold by now, waited.

The timing wasn't ideal with Rikkai so close to arriving, but he would trust Atobe and himself to remain focused on the task at hand. And as for rest of the court, Tezuka imagined they would notice no difference. He had been pretending to be Atobe's advisor and lover for so long that truly becoming those things, if that's where this was headed, would make for no public changes.

He glanced over toward Atobe and caught Atobe looking at him. He gave a nod and then held up the pot, offering Atobe a warm refill. Atobe gave a nod and walked over to settle back down at the table and after a moment, they continued talking about their plans for the upcoming arrival and any details they'd need to know about the ruler and his entourage, the kiss, not forgotten, but momentarily pushed aside for more important affairs.

-end


	10. Home is Where The - 1

Tezuka looked down from the balcony at the procession of Rikkai and Hyoutei aristocrats and soldiers coming toward the palace and felt a bit of nostalgia for his home country before he swiftly turned and headed down through the palace and toward his opulent office to do some reading that would be useful for Atobe. It was best to keep busy until the welcome banquet later tonight.

-0-0-0-0-

"Welcome to the Kingdom of Hyoutei," Atobe said as he stood from his throne and crossed the small distance toward Sanada and his entourage. He had already sent several high ranking aristocrats and diplomats to meet the emperor and his entourage at the harbour and now it was time for the official meeting between the two monarchs. The nobility had all turned out in their finest and were lining the room like beautiful and sparkling artworks.

Hyoutei may not encompass as much land as the ever expanding Rikkai empire but there was no shortage of wealth and prosperity and it was on full display at the moment. He could only hope that it would not make Rikkai think that they were better off being invaded and not as a strong ally.

"It's a pleasure," Sanada said. He gave a small nod that could be considered enough of a bow coming from one visiting monarch to another. "Thank you for inviting us to visit your kingdom.

Atobe returned the nod. "We're honoured that you could join us. We know it must have been a long journey for you to take."

"Yes. But we understand the importance of visiting with other nations."

"True. It does none of us any good to remain isolated," Atobe replied graciously and then looked at the beautiful man on Sanada's left in the flowing robes. "We take it this is the famed oracle of Rikkai?"

"I am but a mere spiritual advisor. I assure you, I do not boast to know the future," The man said.

"This is Yukimura. He does the empire the honour of sharing his wisdom with us," Sanada said.

"Well he is most welcomed in our kingdom as well. One can never have too many wise men in one's kingdom."

"So very true. Which makes me wonder where your advisor is. We've heard a lot about him," Sanada said making a point to look around.

"He's hard at work. As he always tells us, a kingdom does not run itself. He'll be at the banquet later tonight if you wish to share words with him," Atobe said. He did not like how Sanada was already asking after Tezuka. According to Tezuka, they should not be overly familiar and Sanada should have no more than a passing interest in his presence here. He would have to make sure to speak with Tezuka before the banquet and see if his advisor had been keeping things from him again.

"I suspect it takes a lot of work to make your kingdom work for you," Sanada said, his gaze drifting over the numerous self-important looking people near the dias around the throne.

"Numerous hands make for light work. We have no need to micromanage our trusted advisors," Atobe said. Already he was disliking Sanada. Asking about Tezuka, waltzing in with all the confidence as if he already owned Hyoutei and the far too amused advisor at his side. And unfortunately, he could tell that Sanada was not yet a fan of his either.

"Neither do I. I would not be here if I worried that my empire could not manage without me for my trip here," Sanada said.

Atobe wanted to point out that maybe it showed that the empire did not need Sanada but that crossed the line of wordplay to a full threat that could end up with real world retaliation. He needed Rikkai as an ally or at least open to allowing trade routes to pass through their waters.

"Of course. Anyway, you and your entourage must be tired from your journey. We will have you shown to your rooms where you may freshen up and relax before tonight's welcome dinner for you."

"That sounds good. Thank you," Sanada said.

Atobe gave a nod of acknowledgement and called forth Oshitari and Shishido to show them to the rooms he had assigned to the Rikkai delegation. He then gestured for Kabaji to go with them. He would show the Rikkai guards where the barracks were and how those accommodations would work while they were here.

Once all of Rikkai was gone, Atobe reminded the gathered courtiers of the night's dinner and then left to take care of business.

-0-0-0-0-

"You're fidgeting," Oshitari said to Tezuka as they waited in the anteroom to Atobe's quarters as he got ready for the welcome party.

Tezuka's hands immediately dropped to his sides and he straightened. "We should be heading down now. The king will not set a good impression by being late," Tezuka said, changing the topic. He did not want to admit that he may have been fidgeting. It had been quite some time since he'd seen anyone of the royal court of Rikkai. And after Atobe told him that Sanada had immediately asked after him, he wasn't sure what to expect from it.

"A king is never late, Tezuka. Surely Atobe has taught you this by now," Oshitari said and moved over to a lounge chair to drape himself upon.

"To an emperor, I assure you he will be." Tezuka was uncomfortable with Rikkai visiting for many reasons. But the chief among them was that Rikkai had been aggressively expanding their territory lately and there was no guarantee that Rikkai would not turn their eyes, and the force of their might, on to Hyoutei if they saw any cause to do so.

"Shall I go check on him then?" Oshitari asked though he made no move to rise from the chair.

But there was no need to send anyone in as the door opened just then and the King stepped out followed by several of his attendants, all dressed in their best dinner finery.

Oshitari quickly rose to his feet to bow with Tezuka to the king.

"Your majesty, you are looking splendid this evening," Oshitari drawled. And then his eyes moved unsurprisingly to Shishido. "As do your attendants. "You must tell me the secret of how you keep such fine young men in your service."

"We are the king. And we do not spend our time ogling them like our ministers," Atobe said with a pointed look at Oshitari.

It looked as if Oshitari may have offered a rebuttal but the duel hard looks from Atobe and Shishido obviously gave him second thought. Instead, Oshitari gave a small flourish of a bow before moving beside Atobe to fill him in on anything he needed to know before the dinner as they walked.

Tezuka took up a position behind the attendants, having had his fill of conversations with Atobe earlier as they took tea together and pondered just what Sanada's interest in Tezuka and Hyoutei could be.

As they neared the hall, Tezuka felt a presence behind him and turned his head to see Kabaji looming over him.

"You're fidgeting again," Kabaji said in a quiet voice that still rumbled through Tezuka.

It must have been bad if even Kabaji felt the need to point it out. Tezuka once more forced his hands to let go of the material of his overly fancy jacket and focus on what was happening around him. He did not consider Rikkai his own personal enemy but that did not mean they were not an enemy to Atobe… and while Rikkai may not be his enemy there was no guarantee and assassin or two would not try to take advantage of this trip to finish what others had failed to do and assassinate him for allowing Atobe to live.

Once more on guard and more concerned with the safety of Atobe and possible assassins than Sanada and Rikkai, Tezuka felt much more balanced and calm. It must say something that he felt more at ease considering possible ways someone might kill him or people he wanted to protect than possible topics for dinner conversation but he was not about to analyze it now. He would leave questioning his psyche to Oshitari who seemed to have made a hobby out of it.

As they reached the doors of the dining hall, Tezuka heard the herald announce them and the sound of numerous people rising to greet their king as the doors opened.

The hall bowed as Atobe entered and strode to the main table that was set with extra chairs tonight. His attendants moved to their usual spots and even Oshitari veered to a nearby table leaving only Atobe, himself and Kabaji as they moved to the head table. He had eaten many meals now beside Atobe here but it never became less awkward to be stared at by so many and gossiped about so blatantly.

Tezuka kept his head held high and stare neutral as he sat when Atobe had done so and gestured for others to do the same. Kabaji took a moment to confer with Atobe before retreating into the shadows behind the king's chair. Tezuka was sure the man and his guards were on high alert today and would be for the duration of Rikkai's stay.

Tezuka made a mental note to stay out of the secret passages for now. He was sure Kabaji would have assigned extra guards to them and he did not want to accidentally run into a knife happy guard who was of the mind to stab first and ask questions later.

"See, nothing to have worried about, Tezuka. We made it well before Rikkai," Atobe said quietly.

"Please rise for the emperor of Rikkai, Sanada Genichirou, his high spiritual advisor, Yukimura Seiichi and the Rikkai retinue," The herald called out.

Tezuka gave Atobe a look that conveyed that 'well before Rikkai' was quite a stretch and then rose to his feet along with everyone in the hall but Atobe.

As the doors opened, Sanada's eyes swept over the assembled crowd before zeroing in on Tezuka. Feeling the sharp gaze on him, Tezuka gave a brief nod of acknowledgement and tried not to wonder just when his friend had gotten so much broader than himself. At least they were still of the same height.

His gaze then drifted to Yukimura's for a moment and considered how far the man had come since Tezuka had last seen him. It had been many years ago when Yukimura lay in his sick bed in the palace temple complex and was complaining to Sanada and him about how they wanted to put his training on hold.

At the time, Tezuka had hoped Yukimura would make a solid recovery, though none of the doctors had much confidence. So it was good to see him looking so strong, even if the power and influence Yukimura now wielded, if his information sources were to be believed, put him on edge.

As the group made it to the head table and scattered to various seats, Tezuka found himself separated from Sanada and Yukimura by Atobe and a couple high ranking ministers. He did not escape their guests completely though as they sat mixed around the head table.

Because he was low ranking enough, Sanada could not directly talk past the king and high ministers to direct questions at Tezuka during the party. It meant that for now he could relax and enjoy the dinner and not worry about anything too awkward coming up throughout dinner. He did not need Atobe's ministers knowing that he was in the assassin guild and not just a childhood friend that Atobe was currently infatuated with.

Though of course rules and etiquette did not stop Yukimura from wandering over once the entertainment had started. He should have known that nothing would stop Yukimura from doing what he wanted. Though he was mollified somewhat by knowing that Yukimura looked unhappy about being sent as a mere messenger to Tezuka's side.

"Tezuka," Yukimura said as he came up beside him.

Marui Bunta who had been sitting to his right for the dinner glanced at Yukimura and with a slight nod from the high priest suddenly vacated his seat and headed down the table to converse casually with others. Yukimura then slid into the chair and looked Tezuka over.

"High Priest," Tezuka said. Unlike many others in the Rikkai retinue, and Tezuka suspected most of the empire, he was unintimidated by the man. He had a wary respect for his skills but he was hardly afraid of him. He had skills of his own and the protection of Hyoutei's monarch at his back.

"The emperor wishes to speak with you," Yukimura said.

Tezuka gave a nod. He wasn't surprised at all by that. Though the fact that Sanada had chosen to send Yukimura as the messenger instead of sending a note was curious. "When?"

"Tomorrow morning at first light. He will be in the gardens near the maze. You are to come alone."

Tezuka nodded. "I will see him there then."

Yukimura nodded in return and was about to stand when Tezuka decided that no matter the rumours or current standing it would cost him nothing to be nice to an old friend.

"Yukimura, I'm happy to see you so recovered," He said.

Yukimura paused and looked at him intently. "Are you?"

Tezuka didn't hesitate though he was sure Yukimura expected him, too. "Of course. We may have only been friends because of our friendship with the emperor but I would not wish you ill."

Yukimura considered him a moment longer before nodding again. As he stood he placed his hand on Tezuka's shoulder and gave a soft squeeze. His words just drifting down to him over the noise of the hall. "You should agree to the emperor's offer, Tezuka."

And then Yukimura was walking back down the table and Tezuka was left to sort out if that was a threat, a warning, friendly advice, or something else entirely. Until he knew what the offer was he wouldn't be able to judge. He would just hope for the best and prepare for the worst. When it came to Yukimura, that was really all he could do.

-0-0-0-0-

"The arrogant ass," Atobe complained as Shishido helped him out of the ornate jacket he had worn to the dinner.

Tezuka glanced up at him over the correspondence he was reading. "Oh?" He had rather thought the dinner went well. But then he was fortunate to be far enough down the table that he had not had to listen to the subtle alpha male grandstanding of two rulers. He would feel sorry for Yukimura having to put up with it but he was sure the high priest was just as bad and likely twice as dangerous.

"He had the gall to say he found the welcome banquet quaint. Quaint!" Atobe said loudly while swinging an arm and almost hitting Shishido in the face who had come back to his side after hanging up the jacket.

"Rikkai banquets are quite renowned for their size and boisterous entertainment," Tezuka said evenly.

"Why didn't you say something earlier? Hyoutei can easily match or outdo what Rikkai does," Atobe said.

"I don't feel it's a tradition that Hyoutei wants to get into. And as the hosts, it's our job to introduce them to Hyoutei culture while still respecting theirs. You did so with the dishes and music selection. I'm sure our guests did not feel slighted." Tezuka set down the papers and stood up to walk to Atobe, prepared to sooth him if he started up a tantrum.

"What do you mean it's not a tradition we want to start?" Atobe asked.

Tezuka took his hand and gently squeezed. "Rikkai has many enemies so they must show that they are strong and without remorse. A lot of banquets feature fights to the death of prisoners or at least the humiliation of them in some aspect. That is not something that the kingdom of Hyoutei should find such pleasure in. That is not your style of ruling and I would not have you adopt it." He brought Atobe's fingers up to his lips and gave them a soft kiss.

Shishido went to put away the jewelry that Atobe had been wearing and Tezuka didn't miss that he lingered more than he usually did. Obviously he was giving them some semblance of privacy.

"True...though I hate to be thought of provincial or underwhelming," Atobe said. He moved his hand from Tezuka's hold and gently placed it on Tezuka's cheek.

"I'm sure it was only said to rile you up. If you make a mistake and offend them, they could use it as an opening for hostilities between us."

"You're right, Tezuka. I shall be careful of how I react to Yukimura's thoughtless words."

"Good," Tezuka said. And feeling bold, leaned in to give Atobe a kiss to his cheek before withdrawing back to his chair so Shishido would feel comfortable returning.

"Are you sure you can't just kill him?" Atobe asked as he sat and held out his foot as Shishido walked toward him. Shishido bend down and swiftly unlaced the boots with practiced ease before pulling them off.

"Quite sure." Tezuka didn't elaborate on why he couldn't since Shishido was in the room. He didn't know how much the man knew about him or what he could be trusted with. As he was Atobe's favoured courtier and it was clear that Oshitari had taken a liking to him, he probably could be trusted with a great deal but it was best not to be careless.

"But surely you're still not obligated to follow such rules?" Atobe asked. Shishido walked off into the King's large walk in closet to properly clean and store the boots and Tezuka figured he had a moment or two before he came back.

He pitched his voice low so it wouldn't travel. "Regardless of my current standing, my vow remains. Also, as he is not a direct threat to your person I have no justification to kill him or anyone in the Rikkai retinue."

"And what about threats to my kingdom?" Atobe asked.

"Unfortunately my debt protects only you from harm and death and not the kingdom as a whole. My vow to the guild remains, Atobe."

"So you admit they pose a threat to my kingdom if I'm not careful?"

"Ah… well, perhaps you can show Yukimura your rose collection," Tezuka suggested before picking up his correspondences once again. He knew Atobe would have said something but just then there was a knock at the door and some of his advisors came in to speak to him about the evening and tomorrow's affairs. Hopefully by the time they were done with business, Atobe would have put such foolishness of assassinations behind him and would instead focus on how to make the best of the situation.

-0-0-0-0-

Slipping out of Atobe's bed had been easy enough, as had getting past the guards. No sneaking had even been needed as he was well known to keep strict hours and wandered the castle freely at all hours of the day. And with as much energy as planning a royal visit and running a kingdom required, Atobe was still fast asleep as he left the room and Tezuka assumed he would be until one of his courtiers came to wake and dress him for the day.

When he arrived at the garden he did not see any signs of Sanada or anyone from Rikkai and wondered if they had gone to a different side of the garden maze as there were multiple entrances. Atobe and his ancestors had never skimped on the gardens and the vast variety of them throughout the castle grounds was impressive with the crowning jewel being either the immaculate rose garden or the sprawling maze depending on who was asked.

Since the last assassination attempt, Tezuka was not a great fan of waiting out in the open but he would trust the guards on duty off near the doors and doing rounds to at least make enough noise should someone try to sneak up on him. He normally had more confidence in his skills but he was still recovering from the last attack and he knew that any number of highly trained assassins could have snuck into the grounds as part of Sanada's escort. It was somewhat unnerving.

But Tezuka was not one to be easily run off and so stayed his ground and looked casually around once more for any sign of the emperor. That's when he saw him coming down the steps with a scowl. He didn't worry about the look. He had known Sanada long enough to know that was generally what he looked like when anything at all was bothering him even the smallest of things. He doubted it was currently directed at him. But he supposed that could change depending on how their conversation went.

As Sanada drew near, Tezuka tried to examine how he felt. He was glad to see the other. They were not what he would consider best friends. But Sanada was a familiar face from Rikkai and someone from his childhood that he associated with good memories. It was good to see him even if the circumstances were not ideal. Rikkai was not a friend of Hyoutei even if they were not yet enemies. And his current status as Atobe's advisor and being at odds with the assassins guild could only lead to tension.

"Greetings, Emperor," Tezuka said and gave a bow as Sanada approached.

Sanada waved a lazy hand at Tezuka dismissing the bow and the formalities. Obviously this was to be a more personal talk. "Tezuka. It is good to see you well," Sanada said.

"And you. I was concerned when I heard about your family. I'm glad you had skilled and strong people nearby to support you," Tezuka said. The news of the Emperor and his eldest son being lost at sea had hit the empire hard and the news had been cautiously received around the world. A loss that big to such a powerful nation could cause all sorts of upheaval. And while Tezuka doubted the transition was easy with the past Emperor still alive and Sanada old enough, if not fully trained, to take over it well enough.

"Thank you. Though it would have been easier with you at my side." Sanada started a slow walk down the path into the maze and Tezuka had no choice but to follow along. He noticed that Sanada's own guards stayed outside of the maze, blocking the entrance and assumably walking the perimeter to take care of the others.

Had someone secured the maze earlier? If not, he felt the guards were taking a risk by letting Sanada out of their sight into a complicated hedge maze, even more so since they could not know for certain if Tezuka still upheld his assassin guild beliefs. Still, it was not his place to point this out and as he he had no intention of taking advantage of the trust Sanada was showing him nor letting harm come to him, he was sure nothing needed to be said this time.

"Perhaps. But I doubt I would have been allowed to serve in your court without giving up vows I made. And as I'm sure you've heard, that is easier said than done." Serving Atobe instead of killing him was a rather bold and reckless way of giving up his assassin vows in the eyes of the guild but he was sure the reaction to either would have been similar. He had worked far too long and far too well as an assassin to take up his grandfather's title of a noble in the court.

"We would have found a way... Though if you consider your vows now broken, do I have need to worry about your skills being directed towards me?" Sanada asked.

If Sanada was worried about such a circumstance, he didn't show it. He kept his voice even as they continued at the same casual pace deeper into the maze. Tezuka noted that Sanada didn't even glance to see if his guards were nearby and able to reach him in case Tezuka decided to prove how broken his vows were.

"No. I consider my vows still standing. Even if for the moment they have been put on hold." Tezuka could hardly kill someone he owed a life debt to. Though if he were honest, he wondered if he would be able to fulfill his contract whenever that debt may be paid. That was not something that needed to be shared with anyone though. Especially not Oshitari who was far too smug about such things already.

"Good. That will relieve my High Priest's worries somewhat. He is quite upset with me over this stroll," Sanada said.

"I can understand why. You take many risks, your highness."

"What is life without a few risks. And I trust you, Tezuka. No matter what sides we currently stand on, I was confident you'd meet me in the middle," Sanada said and then paused as they reached a dead end in the maze.

"I owe you at least that much," Tezuka said. He knew how to exit the maze, or reach the central pavilion from here but he waited for Sanada to make the first move. "And as I said, my vows still hold. You have nothing to fear from my direction." At least as far as physical harm went. He had a feeling that Atobe would still set him the task of accosting Sanada in the role of his advisor before the trip was done.

"And from the king's?" Sanada asked not missing a beat.

"Even he's not arrogant enough to take on the empire," Tezuka stated. Atobe was not a huge fan of Rikkai but he was wise enough to recognize their strength and Tezuka knew that Atobe merely wished to make some beneficial trade agreements with the empire and nothing more.

"Are you sure? He seems quite full of himself."

Tezuka smiled a little at the comment. He had often felt the same thing himself. "Quite sure. Though most he would have me do to you and your entourage is bend your ear about the benefits of working with Hyoutei."

Sanada laughed and shook his head before turning down another path. "He tasked the wrong person with that role. Come, lead me to somewhere we can talk a moment in private."

Tezuka nodded and began leading them to the center of the maze. It would be deserted at this time of the morning and the central pavilion was far enough away from the surrounding shrubs that if they kept their voices low, it would be impossible for people to listen in without them being aware of it.

When they reached the rest area, Sanada moved to sit and gestured to the other bench nearby and Tezuka also sank down onto the bench and waited for Sanada to start. The silence stretched a moment longer before Sanada leaned forward closing some of the distance between them.

"Your grandfather bid me to relay a message to you," Sanada said.

"Since when does my grandfather have the power to have an emperor do his bidding?" Tezuka asked both surprised and not by Sanada's words. He expected his grandfather to make contact with him. He just expected it to be via post delivered by one of the entourage members.

"He remains good friends with my own grandfather. And when he bids me to do something, I find myself obliged."

"Of course, your majesty." He felt much the same way about his own family obligations normally. Though right now he was having to set filial duty aside to pay back a life debt. "What is it my grandfather wished relayed to me?"

"He wants you home," Sanada said simply.

"Not possible." Even if I wanted to go back to Rikkai, and I wasn't sure I wanted to at the moment, it would be at the forfeit of my life to do so.

"Your grandfather will protect you from the guild."

Tezuka sighed. He supposed that his grandfather and his parents would find a way to keep the guild from going after him. Though he hated to think about what debt he would owe the guild for such an exchange. More risky and dubious assignments? Or would he be forced out of the guild, take up the Tezuka mantle and titles and owe the guild in other ways.

He didn't like it and Sanada easily spotted the frown marring his face.

"It's a generous offer, Tezuka. None of us can guarantee your safety while you're here," Sanada said.

"And how would it be guaranteed when I'm in Rikkai?" He wasn't sure if his grandfather would have told Sanada that much but since it seemed that Sanada was more invested in his safety than he expected perhaps he did know.

Sanada reached into his intricately embroidered tunic and pulled out a sheath of papers and handed it over to Tezuka. He hesitated for just a moment before reaching out for it and as he read, his frown deepened.

"The crown would claim me as one of theirs?" Tezuka asked. The Emperor of Rikkai had an arrangement with the assassin's guild in return for all that Rikkai did for them. If Sanada named him as one of his, he would be protected from any member of the assassin guild. Though it would mean he gave up his ability to hire an assassin from the guild to do his bidding, too. But as a member of the guild he could easily dispatch his enemies himself.. But as a member how would being named protected by the crown work?

"Yes. With conditions…"

"Of course," Tezuka said. He wasn't at all surprised by that. He had been raised in both the world of assassins and nobles. He knew all about how nothing came for free.

"Don't frown so much, Tezuka. We are trying to help you. It's hardly an execution sentence to take up the Tezuka titles and work as one of my ministers," Sanada said pointedly.

"No. But it's not what I'd chose for myself."

"Yet you happily stay in Hyoutei and play advisor to the king here?" Sanada asked. And there was a glint in his eye that made Tezuka decide to be careful with how he phrased his response.

"It is not by choice, your highness. I made a mistake on my mission and the king spared my life and now I serve him to pay off my life debt. Though in the process of doing so, I managed to become further into his debt. As a Tezuka and as a member of the assassin guild we take such debts seriously."

This time it was Sanada's turn to frown. "I have heard some of this… but there are other ways to pay this debt. And removing you from Hyoutei would probably make it safer for the king. How many assassins have attempted to remove you, Tezuka?"

Too many, was Tezuka's first thought but he bit back the words and stayed silent.

"Hmph, don't think your silences will phase me," Sanada said and crossed his arms over his chest. "You have a week to think on those papers. If you want to take up our offer, all you need to do is come to me and ask me to sign and seal those. It will make it official."

Tezuka looked at the papers once more before nodding and carefully tucked them into his own tunic much like Sanada had had them. "I understand."

"Think hard on your choices, Tezuka. Your empire is calling you home nicely."

Tezuka understood the implied threat. The empire rarely called nicely and it was most unwise to refuse it when it did… He would have to tell Atobe more about this meeting than he had originally planned. If his staying on would incite a war with Rikkai it would be impossible for him to do so. Bringing a war to the shores of Hyoutei would be the exact opposite of what his life debt would have him do.

Tezuka finally nodded and was about to ask the emperor to tell him more of what had been going on in the kingdom with family and friends but before he could form any questions, Captain Yagyuu came bursting through the entrance to the center of the maze along with Bunta.

Spotting Sanada, the two bowed as did the guards coming in behind them. "It seems our time has come to an end," Tezuka said quietly.

"We'll speak again," Sanada said and moved to his guards and lord who were looking most annoyed with him.

"Well, what is it?" Sanada asked.

"The high priest sent us to retrieve you, your majesty," Yagyuu said. Tezuka had no doubt that Yukimura was not pleased about the meeting and even less so when the two of them had disappeared into the maze on their own.

"Well consider myself retrieved. That is if you can get us all out of here," Sanada said and Tezuka smiled slightly at the challenge in his voice. He wondered just how long the guards had been hunting for them in the maze.

"No problem, your majesty. That's what I'm here for. Leave it to the genius~" Bunta said before blowing a bubble with the candy in his mouth. He then bowed with a flourish and turned back the way they came.

Sanada allowed himself to be flanked by his guards and as they left, Tezuka could hear the start of a conversation about Yukimura and breakfast as Bunta led them away.

Tezuka stayed a moment longer as he considered the papers next to his chest and what the consequences his decisions might bring.

-0-0-0-0-

The meeting wasn't going well. Tezuka had warned Atobe that it was likely to do so since Sanada had seemed upset with his unenthusiastic response to the missive he had delivered. But Atobe had told him that he would not allow Sanada to hold the trade agreements he wanted hostage. So both parties had entered the meeting with hostilities despite the flowery words of welcome and diplomacy.

Tezuka wasn't quite sure how Atobe planned to work around this since it was clear that Sanada and Yukimura fully expected Atobe to use him as a bargaining chip. And while Tezuka was not completely averse to being part of deals and negotiations - he was an assassin and currently the king's advisor so such things were expected at times - he was thankful that Atobe was letting him make his own decisions on this. Of course, it could just be greed on Atobe's part as he doubted the king wanted to let him go anyway.

Unfortunately the ministers working with them at the table seemed baffled why the trade plans were not going well and while the emperor at times seemed receptive it was quickly ruined by whatever words Yukimura said to him.

The atmosphere remained unpleasant throughout the morning and even lunch had failed to foster any warmth between the two nations. Everyone was starting to grow tired and diplomatic and flowery words were starting to fail the ministers present. No good could come from that and Tezuka passed a piece of paper to Atobe to tell him it was time for plan B.

Plan B was of course, Oshitari's plan. Tezuka wasn't sure it would work but did admit that Sanada, as well as most people of Rikkai, enjoyed a good old fashioned tournament and a few thrilling fights could put even the emperor and high priest in a friendlier mood.

"Perhaps we could leave the ministers to debate finer details of contracts and in the coming days and avail ourselves to the fine entertainment Hyoutei has on offer," Atobe finally said when again the talks had stalled.

"And what entertainment is that?" Yukimura asked. And by his tone and look it was clear he thought that Hyoutei lacked any entertainment that would appeal to those from the empire.

"You have all been confined to ships for quite some time so we thought your finest would like a chance to stretch their muscles and show the citizens of Hyoutei their skills. Of course, Hyoutei's own famed swordsmen and skilled fighters from across the seas will also be joining in," Atobe further explained.

"You're suggesting a tournament?" Sanada asked. It was clear that he'd much rather be watching that then trade ministers argue.

"Exactly. We held off the annual tournament to coincide with your arrival in the hopes you would join us," Atobe said.

It was not actually the original reason why the tournament had been delayed - the grounds had been ruined by a spring flood and required some work to make them suitable for a royal tournament and all the visiting guests. It was supposed to happen just after the Rikkai retinue left with many competitors already in the city and training. But it would be little effort to move things up and have the tournament running in two days time. In fact, Oshitari had already started setting things in motion and the castle outside this room was a flurry with not only keeping the emperor and his retinue well looked after but with preparing for the tournament.

Sanada looked over at Yukimura and seeing no negative reaction, smiled and leaned back in his chair. "We would be honoured to join you in the tournament," Sanada said.

Tezuka kept his face neutral but he wanted to smile at that. In their youths, Sanada had always been enthusiastic about the tournaments and kept trying to sneak into them and participate. Most of his plans failed well before he was anywhere near the tournament ring but one year his grandfather did allow him to compete in the archery contest. It was deemed safe and his skill was high enough that he would not embarrass himself and become upset. He had even come in fourth. An impressive feat for a fourteen year old.

So it was nice to see he still enjoyed them so. Though he doubted the emperor would be competing in any archery tournaments this time.

"Will you be competing Tezuka?" Sanada asked. The first time he had addressed him directly during all of the talks.

Tezuka looked over at Atobe who gave him no outward direction either way. Apparently it was up to him. "If the king commands it. Though I admit, I have always enjoyed a good tournament." He had won enough of Seigaku's famous tournaments to have a reputation and to not want to participate at all in Hyoutei's would seem odd.

"Then perhaps a friendly wager," Yukimura said, cutting in before Sanada could speak.

"Oh?" Atobe said, speaking for Tezuka this time.

"I will also join the tournament and if your man gets further than me, we will look at your terms with a more favourable eye. But if I go further, then you will accept the terms we put forth or get nothing." Yukimura sat there beside Sanada looking the very picture of the serene holy man he was despite the very serious wager and threat he had just delivered.

Atobe's gaze swept across his advisors before looking back at Yukimura. "As we seem to be at impasse, perhaps a friendly wager would help us find resolution. I have complete faith in my dear advisor as I'm sure the emperor has in you. So I will accept the challenge." Atobe looked imperiously at Sanada.

"The empire has every faith in our dear high priest. But do not think to back out of your word if things do not end favourably for you," Sanada said. He then waved toward a minister on each side of the table. "Draft up the wager so that we may sign it and declare it valid."

"Hyoutei always keeps it word. And we look forward to seeing you at the table once more after the tournament in a much more favourable mood."

The mood was tense for a moment, neither side of the table sure how to react to this banter when Sanada laughed loud and long. That seemed to break the tension and the ministers got to work drafting the bet between the two nations while Atobe sent for wine and food to toast to their champions and wish each other the best.

Before Tezuka could really put into words why he felt this could lead to trouble, the papers were signed, drinks poured and the toast done. The tournament was going to happen. Now they just had to make sure it was a success in all the ways that a good royal tournament should be and that Tezuka went further in it than Yukimura.

Everyone else probably thought it was going to be easy given Yukimura's deceptive appearance. But on top of the worries of keeping the King safe when scores of relatively unknown fighters filled the grounds around him, he had to figure out how to take the top prize at the tournament. He knew that Yukimura would aim for nothing less than the best which meant he would, too.


	11. Home is Where The - 2

Tezuka accepted the drink that Oshitari handed to him and watched as Oshitari took the chair opposite him in the library at the Oshitari townhouse in the city. It was nice to escape the castle from time to time, especially when they wanted to talk about the chaos the king was thrusting upon their lives.

"So what is the plan?" Tezuka asked.

"You win. I thought that was clear, Tezuka," Oshitari said with a smile.

"If it was that easy I wouldn't be here. He didn't even consult with me before agreeing with that ridiculous wager."

"From what I've heard of the negotiations they were going nowhere fast. Really this is a bit of a desperate leap but I don't see it as fully unwise," Oshitari said.

Tezuka had often wondered just what place Oshitari held on Atobe's council. He appeared to have no official title that Tezuka could tell and yet seemed privy to everything going on in the nation and abroad. And he was sure it was not just loose lipped people spilling all of the news to the court gossipmonger.

Though with the king's attendant as his not-so-secret lover, Tezuka supposed that Oshitari did have access to a great deal of royal gossip. Though he doubted that Shishido was the type to want to talk about work matters when on private time. From what he could tell, being a courtier and attendant to the king did not leave one with much personal time, especially for one as favoured as Shishido currently was with Atobe.

Perhaps he would once again broach the subject of Oshitari's position in the court with Atobe and this time not let the King wiggle out of it. Surely his advisor and protector should know such details. But how Oshitari knew things was not the point right now. What was the point was figuring out what to do with Rikkai.

"It's still risky. Stalled talks can always be opened later when both parties have had time to settle. But this is an all or nothing bet."

"Are you saying you can't best the high priest?" Oshitari asked.

Tezuka gave a small sigh. "The poison was not kind to me…. And Yukimura is more resilient than he first appears. Do not be deceived by him. What he lacks in strength he makes up for with technique."

Yukimura had always focused on mastering each style of fighting even before his illness and after he had recovered it seemed that the study of such techniques was taken to a near religious level. He was an expert at blending styles to use them to his advantage. Yukimura would never be the strongest or fastest fighter but he was possibly the most knowledgable and that could make him lethal.

"He still has to get past all the other rounds. We'll make sure you start in opposite brackets and hope that someone else takes him out on the way."

"This is still reckless."

"Would you rather have the King encourage you to accept whatever offer the Emperor gave you?" Oshtari asked. He pulled off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose lightly. "I know we have become friends and I have been an advocate of the relationship you and Atobe are growing since you have proven yourself trustworthy but I can't help but wonder if perhaps despite all of this if going with Rikkai might be for the best."

"Atobe would not be pleased to hear you say that," Tezuka said. Though he could not say the thought hadn't crossed his own mind. Even more so since the silly challenge had been issued. He was sure if he went to Sanada to accept the deal he would call off the bet and negotiate trade routes fairly. But he did not want to face whatever was in store for him back in Rikkai. At least not right now. Perhaps repaying Atobe was an excuse but he still was determined to return the favour of saving his life.

"I know. But just because something is not appealing does not mean it doesn't merit discussing."

"I agree. But I feel that option may now be best kept as an ace up our sleeve. Just because I have my doubts about the tournament does not mean I think it impossible."

"But if we lose the bet…"

"The High Priest will be smug but I'm sure the emperor could still be talked around if I do what he wishes," Tezuka said. Yukimura was ruthless and while Sanada was stern he was not entirely unreasonable. And despite the power plays going on in Rikkai, Sanada was still the emperor.

"If that's what you believe than we'll discuss this mystery deal the emperor made with you again later if it's needed."

Tezuka nodded in agreement and was just about to ask what type of events they could expect at the tournament when a door slammed shut and there was stomping.

"I'm going to strangle him, Yuushi. Just how many jacket and scarf combinations can one man want to see on himself before he's satisfied?!" Shishido ranted as he stormed into the library and then stopped dead in his tracks as he took in the sight of Tezuka.

"And who is it you plan to strangle today, my dear Ryou?" Oshitari asked with a chuckle. It was clear he already knew the answer and was just teasing the man.

"I didn't realize you had a guest. I can wait," Shishido said instead of accepting Oshitari's outstretched hand and drawing nearer. "I had thought Lord Tezuka occupied with his majesty. I see I was mistaken."

It was fascinating how quickly court manners could slip back into place despite the man rampaging through Oshitari's house just moments before.

"It is no trouble. We were nearly done here." And taking a hint from Oshitari's own teasing added, "And it seems you have quite an exciting tale to share."

"Not so exciting," Shishido said though he finally stepped fully into the room. "And I often say things I don't mean. I of course would never actually strangle a member of the court."

"Of course not," Oshitari said and once more held out his hand. "And when it comes to our dear king I'm sure we've all had our moment of wanting to strangle him. Or perhaps smother him with a pillow."

Tezuka could hardly deny wanting to do bodily harm to Atobe. Even after he was sworn into his service it was very tempting to dunk him under the water of his bath or throw things at his head. Atobe really did enjoy listening to himself go on about the strangest of things.

He gave a small nod of agreement with Oshitari and that seemed to relax Shishido enough to accept Oshitari's hand and be hauled in until he was sitting on the arm of the wingback chair by the fire.

"And what else troubles you so today, Ryou?"

Shishido glanced over at Tezuka before giving a long sigh. "Jirou is completely infatuated with that idiot from Rikkai. The redhaired one? Who's always saying he's a genius. Do you know him?" Shishido said the last to Tezuka and he was forced to give another nod.

And somehow for an hour or so, Tezuka was able to put thoughts of the tournament, Yukimura and the possibility of returning to Rikkai behind him as Shishido gave him an entirely new and intriguing view of being one of Atobe's attendants and what went along with it.

-0-0-0-0-

Tezuka frowned as the doctor manipulated his arm, causing muscles to protest. He was laying face down on an opulent bed set in an even more opulent set of rooms that attached to the king's own suite. Apparently, or so he had been told as he watched several servants carry in his belongings by a smug looking Atobe, the master chamberlain of the palace had made an unfortunate mistake when assigning bedrooms.

With the influx of nobles and knights coming in for the tournament needing accommodations it was an easy oversight. And he was ever so sorry that his room was grouped with those being assigned to members from Fudoumine. But wasn't it lucky that the king was willing to offer up use of the queen's suite until further notice?

Tezuka was not sure he would call this lucky since it implied a much more serious attachment to him by the king than anything else they have done. And while there were plenty of advantages to the court believing this it also brought up a certain amount of trouble. People who didn't like him or thought that the king should be looking their way may take action against one or both of them. And it also could add a complication to Atobe's and his real relationship.

Tezuka was fine with letting the court believe what they would about Atobe's and his fake relationship started to keep his cover as an assassin but now that they were tentatively moving from fake to something more, Tezuka didn't want them misunderstanding where they were by dubious lodging choices.

He sighed in slight frustration at his thoughts and then gave a small gasp of pain as the doctor started massaging, or what felt like hammering on his back. He needed this though, no matter how much it may ache currently. He had just finished in the broadsword competition, a category he never loved and disliked even more with his still healing arm. And not being quite stubborn enough to ignore the pain radiating in his arm he had asked that Oshitari send for the royal doctor, his main physician since the poisoning incident, to take a look at him.

Which is why, when the knock came at the door, he wasn't surprised. He was even less surprised when Atobe and several attendants strode in without him having to say anything. There was really no point in wasting words when he knew Atobe would do as he pleased anyway.

"Tezuka, while you look lovely lying nearly naked in bed, we do wish the circumstances were different," Atobe said as he moved towards the bed. Tezuka felt the doctor's hands leave his body for a moment before Atobe waved off the bow and the cool hands of the doctor returned to continue working on his arm.

"I'll be fine. I just had the misfortune of being paired with someone the size of a mountain and wielding a broadsword as big as me." Fortunately the man had relied on brute strength and didn't have the speed nor skills needed to take him out. But the few parries Tezuka had been forced to do had been enough to jar his arm and shake his whole body.

"That was an unfortunate oversight. But at least Yukimura or the emperor can't say we rigged the playing field," Atobe said. And before he could request a chair, his attendants had brought one over to the edge of the bed.

"Of course. And how did the high priest do?" Tezuka asked before giving a small grunt as the doctor pressed into a tender muscle.

"Annoyingly flawless. Though your fight was much more impressive and people are bound to be chattering about it all through dinner tonight. We're afraid that means you'll have to make an appearance."

Tezuka sighed but nodded. As the king's personal champion and his advisor, not to mention his rumoured lover, it would be poor form to not show at the dinner celebrating the day's victories and losses.

"Is the tournament done for the day?" Tezuka asked. He knew he at least had rest of the day off but he also knew there were many parts to the tournament and the king was expected to oversee the majority of it.

"No. But it would be remiss of us to not check on our champion after such a grand victory," Atobe said. He reached out a hand to take Tezuka's and gave it a light squeeze. "Will you be alright to finish the competition?"

"As long as there's no more broadswords," Tezuka said. He ignored the tutting sound the doctor made. He had already had to listen to the man lecture him about his body's limitations and the foolishness of youth and ego.

"I'll make sure there's not," Atobe said lowly. Tezuka was sure the attendants still heard Atobe break his kingly character but he wasn't about to point it out. Whether Atobe did it because he wanted to show real affection to Tezuka despite who was watching or because he hoped to add more fuel to the rumours he didn't know. Or perhaps he just trusted his attendants and didn't feel the need to keep up the show in front of them.

Tezuka realized his thoughts were drifting off to random places and gave Atobe's hand a squeeze back. "Thank you. And no javelin either."

"No javelin either," Atobe agreed easily.

When Tezuka grunted again in the attempt to stave off making any other unbecoming noises of pain, Atobe reached out and brushed the hair back from his face.

"I wish I could stay longer. But duty call," Atobe ran his fingers through Tezuka's hair one more time before withdrawing his hands and standing. "I'll see you at dinner. Rest until then."

"Of course. I'll even wear that new suit jacket you had commissioned for me." The one that Tezuka thought far too fancy and ridiculous but knew how much Atobe enjoyed seeing him in. Tezuka would never apologize for getting injured or making Atobe worry but he would show his contrition in other ways. Suffering a couple of hours in a silly jacket was certainly penance enough.

"Good. It gives us something to look forward to." Atobe gave him a genuine smile before turning to the doctor. "Treat him well doctor. And see that he gets some rest."

The doctor gave a quiet "Yes, Majesty." And Tezuka could see an unwanted tonic in his future. But with how sore he was feeling perhaps he wouldn't argue against it too much.

"Come along men, we have more sport to watch," Atobe said and swept out of the room with his attendants, undoubtedly collecting his guards still out in the sitting room and hall on the way out. Atobe certainly knew how to make a grand entrance and exit.

His thoughts had almost drifted off to a pleasant place when the doctor moved his arm in a way that caused him to hiss in pain. He looked forward to this tournament being over and hopefully giving his body the proper time it needed to heal.

-0-0-0-0-

The final tournament was finally upon them. And of course Tezuka's final opponent was Yukimura. He wasn't surprised that Yukimura had passed all of the challenges like himself, he just wished someone had been able to best him in one of the challenges along the way. Now it really would be down to each of the royals' personal champions to decide the fate of the trade agreement and status of the relationship between the nations.

Tezuka hoped that no matter what happened, that Hyoutei stayed on Rikkai's good side. There was still no reason for Yukimura nor Sanada to set their sights on Hyoutei but Tezuka was also sure it wouldn't take much for Yukimura and subsequently Sanada to change their minds about that. The empire was ever expanding and under Sanada's reign, with Yukimura's guidance, it was doing so at an ever impressive rate.

Taking a breath to clear himself from thoughts of his homeland, Tezuka surveyed as much of the crowds as he could through the small opening of the tent he was waiting in until he was called out. Shishido, who the king had lent him as a squire or servant of some sort, was lacing up the back of the leather armour that Tezuka would be wearing.

Metal and more durable armour wouldn't be required as they would be working with semi-blunted rapiers. The goal was to score the most points by getting the most hits in by the time limit. It was a gentleman's sword and popular at court. Nobles enjoyed passing the time by going these types of bouts with each other while the guards instead practiced with the more lethal type of swords. Tezuka himself preferred swords and even sabers that had a lethal edge all the way down and were just as good for swinging as they were thrusting.

But as he grew up using the katana and other Japanese swords that was no surprise. But unlike Yukimura, who he knew still favoured his katana and the shorter faster wakizashi, Tezuka was well versed with the rapiers and swords preferred here. Especially since he had masqueraded for a time as King Echizen's tutor and had to teach him how to make a rapier just as lethal as any other weapon while still maintaining the elegance that would be required in the much less lethal pursuits of a leisurely match with fellow nobles.

He hoped that experience and his diverse knowledge from his time with the assassin's guild would give him the edge that he needed to score the most points.

"How does that feel?" Shishido asked as he stepped back from Tezuka reminding him that he had once again allowed his thoughts to wander.

"Fine. Thank you for your assistance," Tezuka said.

"Just doing my job. His majesty wouldn't be pleased if I didn't serve you to the best of my abilities. Besides, doing this helps the kingdom. It may not be much but it's more than wh-" Shishido paused and shook his head. "Nevermind. Do you need help with your wrist guards?"

"If you don't mind," Tezuka said. He then held out his right arm and casually considered Shishido as he worked.

Tezuka was somewhat curious to what Shishido was going to say but he also felt he could make an educated guess. Most of Atobe's retinue was filled with second or third sons or of nobles of minor ranking or no money. To be his attendant was a great privilege and could easily help a family or person move up in the world of ever scheming nobles. And a life at court with the king gave a savvy courtier many opportunities to meet and romance a lady of money or rank which was also advantageous.

And Tezuka had noted over his time here that while he had many attendants expected of a powerful king only a select few had the pleasure of serving him in his private chambers or were favoured enough to be invited on all of the most enjoyable of excursions. Those not in Atobe's favour were often the ones stuck attending him at long banquets or public events that involved a lot of standing and waiting.

Shishido, Mukahi and Akutugawa were three of the most favoured as far as Tezuka could tell and Shishido especially had been getting tasked with more and more duties lately. It showed that Atobe had a great deal of respect for him. And as he was sure that Shishido was about to say, in his own way, he was certainly doing more for the kingdom than his older brother was. As far as Tezuka was aware, his older brother was supposedly working with their father out on the country estate to learn how everything should be managed. However, if rumours were to be believed, the elder Shishido son spent more of his time indulging in wine and ladies. Though with the announcement of his engagement there was a good chance that at least one or both might be curbed.

Deciding that some light conversation with Shishido would be preferred to over thinking his still tender shoulder and how Yukimura might approach the upcoming match he hoped Shishido might be open to discussing a bit more about his family.

When Shishido was finished with his right wrist, Tezuka raised his left for him. "I heard your brother is to be married," Tezuka said after a moment. "Will you be returning home for the wedding?"

Shishido looked up at him in surprise for a moment before returning to his task. "He still has to come to the city to formally ask permission from His Majesty so I can give him my congratulations. And they may decide to hold the wedding here, too since it would be easier to invite more people without being worried about hosting them. Especially with the viscount living on the other end of the kingdom of the Shishido estate," Shishido explained.

"Your brother needs permission?" Tezuka asked. He had been around royals nearly his whole life and had heard of many interesting customs but couldn't recall ever witnessing this one.

"Well it's mostly a courtesy for us. Barons and viscounts aren't required to formally announce engagements to the king but it is seen as bad form or at least a great deal of laziness if you don't come to tell him. But if you're an earl or higher, you need to the king's permission to marry though only once have I seen At- His majesty deny someone the privilege."

Tezuka didn't call Shishido out on almost calling the king by his name with no title. He had no doubt that Shishido had permission to do so in private just as he was always being encouraged to do so or to call him Keigo. Just another sign that Shishido held the king's confidence. Though it did make him wonder where his family stood with the king and it would be interesting to see the interactions when they came to the palace to tell the king of the engagement.

"Why did he not allow that one couple to marry?" Tezuka asked as he double checked his guards and then reached for his sword belt.

"The palace keeps records of how all nobles are doing financially. For both tax reasons and other reasons. And it was pretty obvious that the guy hadn't told the lady that he had less money than the fishmonger at the docks and was just marrying the rather unfortunate looking lady for her large dowry and inheritance. She also wasn't the brightest bulb in the box. Probably a bit too much inbreeding," Shishido said the last with a teasing smile.

Tezuka wondered if that was another reason why certain ranks of nobility were supposed to seek permission from the king. To make sure that nobility didn't intermarry too much. Though if what Shishido said was true, past kings were not so bothered by such things as much as they should be.

"So he denied the marriage to protect the lady's assets and to make sure that the lord could not abuse them when he so clearly did not deserve them or have the lady's interests at heart," Tezuka said.

"Exactly. I mean I doubt his majesty would say no to a mismatched pair getting married if their hearts were in the right place. But this lord was bad news. A bit of a gambler and had run his own meager estate into the ground. There was no way he'd be able to handle the lady's. He was just looking for an easy way out."

Tezuka expected that the lord also had a mistress that he wouldn't be surprised to find out that Atobe had known about. While not quite as impressive as Seigaku's or even Rikkai's spy network, Atobe had a way of learning things about people that Tezuka knew people would rather stay hidden.

Watching as Shishido tidied up the small tent Tezuka wondered just how long Atobe knew his attendant was having an affair with Oshitari before one or both of them told Atobe about it. Because Tezuka suspected that the ease of which Oshitari and Shishido carried out their semi-private affair meant that the king knew about it and had given his permission for it to continue.

"It's good that his majesty cares so much about his people's interest. A strong and just nobility can help to ensure that everyone is looked after," Tezuka said.

"Exactly," Shishido said and gave Tezuka a smile. It was a nice change from getting glared at all of the time from Atobe's attendants. Even those that didn't know about his original assassination attempt treated him with suspicion and scorn due to his sudden spot in Atobe's life and bed and his new high ranked advisor position. He couldn't blame them, but it was tiring.

"Tezuka… is the emperor the same?" Shishido asked after a moment.

Tezuka didn't know why Shishido was suddenly asking. But he supposed he didn't need to know the reason why to answer. "He tries to be. He is strict but he is not a cruel man. Unfortunately, the empire is much bigger than the kingdom and it's harder to keep track of how his will is being carried out. The high priest helps but even he can't know everything that is happening everywhere. Rikkai is not so bad a place to live but not all the lords are watched as closely as they should be." Though Tezuka was sure the threat of the assassin's guild having a stake in the empire and its people made most lords hesitate from going too far with their greed.

"I see… I guess sometimes bigger isn't better," Shishido said and then gave a small laugh at his joke.

Tezuka, thinking how broadswords certainly weren't better than the rapier at his side could only nod in agreement and didn't understand quite why that set Shishido laughing again.

Thankfully, before he could question it, trumpets blared announcing the upcoming contest and Shishido spurred into action getting him ready for his grand entrance into the arena.

-0-0-0-0-

Atobe watched as Yukimura and Tezuka bowed to him and Sanada before turning to bow to each other. As Atobe watched Tezuka size up Yukimura before the official call to begin was given, Atobe couldn't help but question if this was the right choice. He glanced at Sanada who was lounging in the ornate chair beside his own and decided that yes, it was.

Rikkai didn't respect Hyoutei and Sanada wanted what was his. And Atobe couldn't let either stand.

"Feeling confident?" Atobe asked as the game was called to start.

Sanada looked over at him and gave a smirk. "Of course. Rikkai is ever confident."

Atobe only just refrained from rolling his eyes and instead looked back at the match to watch the two circle each other. "But isn't Tezuka part of Rikkai?" He may claim Tezuka as his own now but Hyoutei was not in Tezuka's blood.

"He is from the guild. They are from nowhere," Sanada said. But the sharpness to his tone let Atobe know that he had annoyed the other man.

Atobe smiled and relaxed further into his chair and watched as Tezuka made the first move.

Tezuka thrust towards Yukimura which was easily blocked and countered. Counters, blocks, parries and thrusts continued for some time until Tezuka finally scored a hit. The crowed cheered and Tezuka and Yukimura moved to start the next bout.

"It's our belief, Sanada, that we would make better friends and allies than enemies," Atobe said loud enough to be heard over the clanging of rapiers against each other.

Sanada snorted lightly as he crossed his arms. Clearly he didn't feel quite the same way.

"You disagree?" Atobe asked. He turned from Sanada a moment when the audience cheered and booed as Yukimura scored a hit. He waited until they were once more circling around each other before glancing back at Sanada.

"Most weaker kingdoms say that to us."

Atobe bristled slightly at that but forced himself to remain looking relaxed and unbothered. "Just because Hyoutei is satisfied with our size does not mean we are weak," Atobe said. He had more than enough strength to expand his territory if he so chose but instead he focused on ensuring that what was under him flourished. There was no point in being greedy when Hyoutei had plenty of wealth and prosperity already.

"Hmmm if you say so. Ah, and that's another point to us. Tezuka should reconsider returning with me. It seems he could use a decent challenge to increase his skills again," Sanada said.

"If you say that then you don't know him as well as you think," Atobe said. He knew that Tezuka was the strongest fighter in the kingdom and he had no doubt that if he were not recovering from an injury he would easily be the strongest in the world. Certainly stronger than the high priest.

Sanada was silent long enough that Atobe wasn't sure he'd reply. He watched as Yukimura scored another point before Tezuka got his second point and was soon working towards bringing the match to a tie again. As Tezuka swiftly moved to parry one of Yukimura's attacks there was the slightest of grimaces across his otherwise stoic face and it was then that Sanada spoke.

"What happened?" Sanada asked.

"He was injured in my service." Atobe felt no reason to go into the details. If Tezuka had wanted Sanada to know that assassins were coming to seek vengeance and one of them had nearly succeeded he was sure Tezuka would have told him himself.

"Yet you still volunteered him for this tournament?" Sanada asked. He took his eyes away from the match to send a stony look at Atobe that was hard to miss.

"He is well on his way to full recovery. It is merely why he is not quite up to his usual level. We're sure it's more than enough to put your high priest in his place." And as if Tezuka somehow could tell what they were saying got a perfectly timed point from Yukimura tieing the score.

"Or so you hope," Sanada said, his eyes on the field.

Tezuka was currently stretching out his arms as they moved into position to start again. Yukimura appeared relaxed and ready to continue but he was breathing heavily and Atobe wondered how his stamina was. He had heard rumours of Yukimura being quite ill for some time. Even recovered Atobe was sure the effects would linger for a long time yet. Looking closely he could see Yukimura perspiring and how his movements had slowed slightly compared to the start of the match. He knew that Yukimura shouldn't be underestimated as he had made it the finals but it was clear to Atobe that both their champions were not yet returned to peak condition.

"I'm sure you're hoping for something similar with your own champion," Atobe said.

"He volunteered. He knows his own limits," Sanada countered. "In Rikkai we do not make a habit of forcing our honoured advisors to fight for us."

Atobe assumed that was because fighting was likely in Rikkai blood and no forcing was required. How else would Rikkai so easily conquer so many places and be home of the assassin's guild? "We both know that Tezuka is no mere advisor. Just like I'm sure your High Priest is more than he seems."

"Obviously. But the difference is that I respect Yukimura where you have done nothing to prove to me that you do the same with Tezuka. You should let him come back to Rikkai and stop holding petty things above his head."

Atobe wanted to slap Sanada for his ridiculous insults. "I have nothing but respect for Tezuka."

"Hardly. I've heard the rumours and seen the way you look at him. Holding the man here to do your bidding in bed is not respect, Atobe."

"How da-" Before Atobe could finish the sentence a commotion broke out around them and suddenly two armed men were flying into their box.

Atobe's hand flew to the dagger at his hip but before he could draw it he was flung backwards as his heavy chair toppled with a thunderous sound. He struggled to move as he found himself pinned by the man that had moments ago been attacking them. Now the man was silent and still and it took Atobe a moment to realize the reason for this was the dagger sticking out of the man's back.

"To the king," Tezuka's voice rose over the cacophony of noise and Atobe noticed another voice shouting the same for the emperor and many other voices taking up the call for both.

His head was spinning, possibly from the hard impact it took as he fell with is chair but he did notice the increase of noise around him and the vast number of guards squeezing into the small space of the royal viewing box. Just what was going on and why had nobody removed the dead body from his majestic self yet?

Finally, after what seemed like far too long, the body was removed from on top of him and Kabaji was carefully helping him to his feet while not so subtly checking him for injuries. "We are fine, Kabaji." In truth, his head was throbbing but it was nothing a dose of pain powder and a nap wouldn't cure. But before he could suggest such a thing and postponing the match, he registered raised voices and turned to see Tezuka, Yukimura, Oshitari and Sanada having a very loud discussion without him.

"It's clear to anyone with eyes that Hyoutei is working with the rebels that are trying to overthrow the emperor," Yukimura said with an icy vehemence in his tone. He was holding a yellow scrap of fabric and brandishing it as if it were proof.

"The king could have been just as easily injured as the emperor, Yukimura. And you know that Hyoutei has no dealings with the rebels. It wouldn't benefit us," Tezuka said.

"Us? Have you fallen that low, Tezuka? Though I suppose someone who sells their allegiance to the highest bidder will go wherever he fancies," Yukimura said.

"Yukimura… Seiichi, that's enough," Sanada said quietly and laid a hand on Yukimura's shoulder.

"It is not. You could have died. We cannot allow these sorts of attacks to go unpunished."

"I'm not saying they should. And a scratch across my cheek is hardly life threatening."

Atobe's eyes drifted to Tezuka's arm where a small scratch nearly killed the man. But he didn't say anything about it. His mind was still trying to catch up with what was going on and he was sure the slowness of his mental prowess was because of his head injury.

"That small scratch nearly took out your eye. You're still bleeding," Yukimura said. And since Sanada had a large bundle of cloth held to that side of his face it was impossible to see for sure if he was still bleeding or just what the injury was. Either way, it did not bode well for Hyoutei and Rikkai relations.

"Would someone care to inform us what is going on?" Atobe asked pushing himself between Tezuka and Oshitari so he was not forced to converse from behind the two men.

"My king, it's good to see you up," Oshitari said and gave a small bow. "It seems you were attacked by members of a rebel group."

"A rebel group?" That was the first he had heard about rebels in Hyoutei.

"Not everyone is happy being under the banner of the empire," Tezuka said quietly though his hard look didn't waver from Yukimura.

Atobe gave a small nod of thanks for the information and then glanced at the dead men still in the royal box with them. He saw a yellow strip of fabric still tied around the arm of the man who had been on top of him and understood now why Yukimura was waving around the strip of fabric like he had.

"We can assure you that Hyoutei has no such objections to how the empire has expanded. We invited you here in a show of friendship," Atobe said.

Sanada raised a hand to silence Yukimura before he could say anything. "Be that as it may, we were attacked somewhere we thought was safe. You will have to understand our reluctance to continue our stay here," Sanada said.

"Your grace," Tezuka said stepping towards Sanada. "You must kno-"

"No, Tezuka. You have chosen your side and for now you must live it. Rikkai will be leaving in the morning. The bet is off and we will not be open to anymore talks of trade until the matter of the rebels has been sorted."

Yukimura looked annoyed at the words but nodded. "I will have everything prepared for you, emperor," Yukimura said and gave a small bow. Atobe watched as Yukimura gestured to several Rikkai attendants and guards who immediately took his place around the emperor as Yukimura left.

"Sanada, there's no need to be hasty. Let us retire to a private study and have drinks brought. Surely we can come to a better understanding," Atobe said.

"No. Whether you were privy to the rebels plans or not, the truth is that someone in your palace was. This was a well organized attack and we are both lucky to have our lives. I've allowed this to go on too long. So I'll be returning home with all haste to deal with this situation once and for all. There will be order in my empire. And once there is order, then the empire will once more consider your request. We hope that your terms will be more reasonable then."

Without waiting for any response, Sanada turned and swept out of the royal box in a fast powerful stride that belied the fact that he was injured and still holding the cloth to his face. Atobe wondered if the man would accept care from his physician and decided that he didn't care.

All the hard work that went into wining and dining the Rikkai visitors was now a waste. They weren't quite enemies of the empire but Atobe suspected it was a close thing. And he suspected even further it was the man at his side that was giving the emperor a reason to pause and consider what really happened instead of just directly blaming Hyoutei for it all.

"Well that was a disaster," Oshitari said what everyone was clearly thinking. "But at least we're all in one piece. You missed it, your majesty, but the take down of the rebels was as impressive as any event in the tournament."

Atobe looked at the dead rebels and then at Oshitari. "How did that one die?" He asked of the man that had been charging at him before he had died and ended up smothering him instead.

Oshitari grinned and pointed to Tezuka. "You'll have to find a way to thank him appropriately."

"Oh? Tezuka, is that right? Will we be having to find a way to thank you?"

Tezuka sent a sharp look Oshitari's way and then looked back at Atobe. "He was going to kill you. Yukimura and I noticed at the same time. I had a small dagger tucked in my clothes… you are lucky they weren't wearing any armour beneath their clothes."

Atobe looked startled at the realization that it had not been one of his nearby guards that had fallen the man but Tezuka, who had to have been nearly 50 yards away at the time. "That's magnificent. Your miraculous throw has saved my life, Tezuka." Because Atobe knew he would never have brought his own knife out in time to save his own.

He then paused as his words sunk in. The initial bargain between Tezuka and himself was that he would stay on until he had returned the favour and saved Atobe's life. He was then supposed to finally kill Atobe before returning to the assassin's guild. Was that still on the table?

"It was the least I could do for the man who has saved my own twice over," Tezuka said. And there was just enough emphasis on the word twice to take away the tension that was building up in Atobe.

"Of course," Atobe said, once more affecting a haughty royal air. "Well, now that we've settled things here, let us adjourn to my chambers. Having a man die on us has made us desire quite a long bath. And we insist you join us. Oshitari, have the doctor sent to my chambers and make sure the mess here is handled. You may take Shishido to assist you."

Atobe trusted Oshitari to not only clean up the bodies of the rebels but to also find a way to spin everything so it was not quite the disaster it currently felt like And instead of a feast to celebrate the champion of the tournament, tomorrow they will feast instead to the heroics of his advisor and guards. Giving Oshitari Shishido as an aid was his way of thanking Oshitari for the long hours of work ahead of him and also a practical way to help as Shishido could traverse easily through the castle via the secret passages and if Oshitari could not do something himself he could send Shishido and know that things would get done. Only a fool would not treat a serious request from Shishido as coming from the king himself. And if anyone proved themselves a fool today then Atobe would have no trouble with dealing with them strongly tomorrow.

But for now, he would trust those under him to see things were done properly. He needed a bath and his head looked at and maybe if he was lucky a request to meet with the emperor before he departed would not be turned down.

After collecting his assurances from Oshitari, he turned and left the royal box, Tezuka and Kabaji flanking him and several guards surrounding him. "I feel I will need to find more ways to save your life, Tezuka," Atobe said as they started walking up the stairs to his room.

"Or perhaps you could try to not put yourself in such immediate danger again," Tezuka said.

Atobe looked at Tezuka for a long moment, so long that he could hear the guards around them starting to fidget on the steps. He then gave a small smile and nod before continuing the walk. "I shall do my best to.. How do you like to put it? Oh yes, I'll do my best to not be careless." Atobe gave a laugh at the look Tezuka gave him. His head might still hurt and his trade deal was in ruins but for this small amount of time he would cling to this moment of happiness. He could work on fixing everything else after he coaxed Tezuka into the bath with him.


	12. Foundation Day

An interlude in which Tezuka goes to wish Atobe a happy Foundation Day only to have it lead to a conversation about more than that.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Tezuka looked up from his journal as he heard the distant bells of the town square's clock chiming the midnight hours. A quick glance to the door that connected the queen's suite, the current rooms he was staying in, to the king's rooms showed that Atobe was still awake.

He knew the king always had a pile of things that demanded his attention but tomorrow, or rather later today, was an important day that was filled with numerous events that allowed for little rest. Atobe needed his sleep if he was going to present himself to his people the way he wanted to.

Standing, Tezuka tucked his journal away into his desk and locked the drawer before moving to the door that connected their two rooms. He listened a moment to see if Atobe was in a meeting with someone but when he heard nothing but the occasional turning of pages, he silently opened the door.

"Your majesty," Tezuka said in quiet greeting so as not to startle the other man.

"Tezuka. I didn't expect you tonight," Atobe said. He set aside the papers he was looking at and gave Tezuka a smile as he waved him in. Clearly, the king was happy for the distraction.

"I hope I'm not intruding," He said as he closed the door behind him before taking what had become his usual seat on the opulent love seat across from the chair Atobe worked in.

"Not at all. I find myself missing your company most nights, as silent as it usually was."

Tezuka felt slightly guilty. They had started sharing a room - and a bed - to keep up appearances of Tezuka's cover story of being Atobe's new and favoured lover. But familiarity breeds comfort and even Tezuka had come to enjoy their private time spent together in this room. Though that wasn't quite fair to the handsome king… it wasn't just familiarity that made Tezuka enjoy sharing time with him.

But with Rikkai's visit he had had his belongings relocated to the 'Queen's suite' and because of the way the two rooms connected it was no longer required of them to share a bed to keep prying eyes from realizing the truth. Though Tezuka did on occasion stay the night so the maids and attendants in the morning could find them still together and draw their own conclusions.

As much as Tezuka had come to enjoy sharing a bed with Atobe and the extra warmth he provided on cooler nights, Tezuka had found himself too restless to want to spend a night in bed lately. Since the fiasco with the attempted murder of both Atobe and the emperor of Rikkai during the festivities of the tournament, Tezuka had been much more vigilant about his vow to keep Atobe safe.

This often meant leaving his rooms in the middle of the night to gather information either through chats with informants or by discretely searching the offices of those he did not fully trust. He dare not let Atobe know about his midnight wanderings which meant he couldn't risk the king waking and finding him absent from bed.

But perhaps his desire to keep Atobe safe had started doing harm in other, non-physical ways. "Would you like me to stay tonight?" Tezuka found himself asking before he had put thought into the words.

Atobe looked him over and then smiled again. "I wouldn't say no… but it's not like you to offer like this. Is everything well?"

Tezuka watched as Atobe stood, the robe he wore over his night clothes falling into place around him in a swirl of fabric. The king then crossed the space between them and joined him on the loveseat. "I know you probably think I'm too busy to listen to personal concerns but I assure you, despite what everyone seems to think, it is never a bother to be able to help a friend or those I care for."

Tezuka nodded. He imagined he wasn't the only one who tried to protect Atobe by easing his worries and workload and keeping things to himself. He could very easily see Oshitari doing the same for one. "I'm fine… I just saw your light and thought I should encourage you toward your bed."

As soon as the words left his mouth he realized the double meaning those words could have. And by the rosy colour rising to Atobe's cheeks he wasn't the only one. "I see." Atobe's eyes flicked toward the bed and then back to Tezuka. "Is that all?"

Tezuka didn't clear up the extra meaning of his words, he couldn't when he knew deep down that he meant them in every insinuation. His feelings for Atobe had been growing slowly, or perhaps his understanding of them had been. But either way, their relationship had shifted from a farce into friendship into something beyond that. They were no longer just pretending at being together even if it was still early days and they were not nearly as settled as their public persona acted.

One day, perhaps soon, Tezuka knew he would take Atobe to bed to do much more than sleep. But it seemed wrong to do so when there were still any doubts between them and when the situation still seemed so unstable. Tezuka was no blushing virgin, sex was just one of many weapons an assassin wielded after all. But this thing with Atobe, it wasn't just about lust. He wanted more and to see what could be built together if they laid a strong enough foundation.

And those thoughts reminded him why he had really come into Atobe's room. He moved his hand up to brush blonde strands from Atobe's face and then cupped his cheek in his palm. "Happy foundation day, Keigo." He watched Atobe's eyes widen in surprise at being called by his first name. But before the king could say anything, Tezuka leaned in and kissed him.

Atobe let out a shaky sigh as their lips parted and Tezuka watched Atobe's eyes flutter back open. There was something about being able to do that to a king with a simple kiss that pleased Tezuka almost as much as the kiss itself had.

"And to you, Kunimitsu," Atobe said his voice low and almost a whisper.

Tezuka gave a nod and then withdrew his hands from Atobe "You should rest, your majesty. You have a busy day tomorrow."

"Will you stay?" Atobe asked.

"Will you sleep?" It was not uncommon for them to be in the process of heading to bed and get distracted by one issue of the kingdom or another and end up pondering solutions or debating morality before sleep claimed them.

"I'll sleep. And I'll sleep better with you near."

Tezuka nodded again and then stood. "I will hold you to that. Though most who know our past might question how you can sleep better with the man who attempted to murder you in bed beside you."

To Tezuka's surprise, Atobe laughed at that. "Then they would be fools who don't know the situation nearly well enough."

Tezuka looked at him in question.

"You may have attempted to murder me, Tezuka, but you did not succeed. And I have no doubt that no matter how many times you attempted the result would be the same."

Tezuka opened his mouth to deny it but stopped as Atobe held up his hand. "No. I've seen you in action. You're a highly skilled individual, Tezuka. If you wanted someone dead, they would be. Which means for some reason you do not wish me dead. I like to think I know the reason for this but for now I'm content to know that I can trust you by my side and in my bed, life debt or no," Atobe said.

The king held Tezuka's gaze with his own and Tezuka felt his desire to look away build up. Fortunately before he had to give into the intense stare, Atobe turned and moved to turn the blankets down on the bed. "I require no confirmation. You prove more in your actions than by words."

"Do I?" Tezuka asked as he moved to the bed and began to help turning down the sheets and tossing aside decorative pillows. The movements were natural, ones built up by habit.

"You're here, aren't you?" Atobe asked and then slid into bed.

"I am," Tezuka agreed. And then he realized that Atobe wasn't just talking about in Hyoutei or being his advisor. He was here, planning to get into Atobe's bed, when he didn't have to. He could monitor Atobe's safety from his own room. And as their rooms connected he didn't have to be found in Atobe's bed to make sure gossip of their relationship continued.

Tezuka had chosen to seek Atobe out with the excuse that it was getting late and the king should be in bed. He hadn't even noticed that it was an excuse and not a legitimate reason to visit until now.

Atobe patted the bed beside him, drawing Tezuka's attention back to him and obviously to encourage Tezuka to get into it. "That's all that's needed for now."

"Is your infamous insight telling you something you'd like to share?" Tezuka asked as he moved into the bed on what had become his side at some point. He wondered if Atobe had noticed more weak excuses Tezuka had been making to be in his company. Or perhaps feelings that Tezuka was only starting to admit to maybe existing had been apparent to Atobe for some time now.

Honestly, it was a little distressing to Tezuka. He had family he loved and friends he considered important to him. When he failed to kill Atobe, he knew, even if he did not wish to admit it, that Atobe was part of the select group of people that despite all words and intentions he would never be able to dispatch as the guild required.

But over the course of time spent with Atobe, he was finding that Atobe was moving from friends into a category all his own. It had started before their first kiss though Tezuka couldn't say exactly when. Was the pretending to be in a relationship to blame for making him desire a real relationship with Atobe? Or was it the quiet moments they were able to share among busy days? Or perhaps it was something else all together.

Tezuka set aside his glasses on the table and then looked over at Atobe to see if he was going to answer his question and then froze as he saw the examining look Atobe was giving him. "Yes?" He asked.

"My insight tells me a lot of things, Tezuka. But mostly it says I can trust you. And yours?"

"I don't share your skill at insights," Tezuka said, still caught in the look that Atobe was giving him.

"Perhaps not in the same way. But you're observant and you trust your instincts, do you not? So tell me, what are they saying?"

Tezuka wasn't ready to share revelations he was only starting to come to terms with himself. It was easier when he could excuse everything by blaming it on the life debt and perhaps pointing out that he was only human and attention from a handsome king like Atobe would be hard for anyone to exist. But it wasn't a life debt or Atobe's handsome features that made Tezuka turn down Sanada and risk important trade agreements and border security…

"It says I should kiss you." And Tezuka reached out to slide fingers through Atobe's silky strands as he leaned in to do just that.

He was sure it was not the answer that Atobe was looking for but from the pleased noises Atobe was making, Tezuka doubted Atobe would actually complain.

After some time, they finally pulled apart, lips wet and swollen and breath coming quickly. They shared small smiles, both obviously yearning for more but for now content to settle back onto their respective pillows.

It was odd in some ways. Tezuka was sure that Atobe was no more innocent than himself when it came to the bedroom so there seemed no reason to wait or play this coyly. But it felt right to him to move slowly. Seducing Atobe was not part of a mission and despite their history together they were still getting to know each other. The best way to ensure this thing between them would survive all of the deceptions and demands of their lives meant going slowly.

Tezuka gave himself a mental headshake as a thought suddenly came unbidden to him. A strong foundation could support almost anything. And that's what he and Atobe were doing now; slowly building a strong foundation so that whatever they built between them could last through anything. And it was not lost on Tezuka that they were building more of their foundations on Hyoutei's foundation day.

He was clearly spending too much time around Oshitari listening to his romantic thoughts and commentary.

Tezuka rolled over as if to try and physically dislodge Oshitari's influence from his mind and then closed his eyes. He was almost asleep when he felt a hand move to rest on his hip and Atobe's heat move closer to his back.

Perhaps a little bit of romance and ridiculous metaphors weren't such a bad thing if it meant ending the night like this. Not that Tezuka would be informing anyone of those thoughts. Atobe and Oshitari would be insufferable if they knew Tezuka's thoughts compared his relationship with Atobe to that of building an impressive house.

No. For now, it was enough to have Atobe close and to take each day as it came and to see where this led. And with his life debt to Atobe still valid, Tezuka was sure those days would not be boring.


	13. What Lies Beneath - Chapter One

Oshitari stood and bowed as Atobe entered the room even as Atobe motioned for him to stop and to sit. "No need for that," Atobe said.

Still, it didn't hurt to show the man his respect and loyalty, especially with a servant in the doorway. But it was nice to know that Atobe didn't expect it from him.

"Are you here alone?" Oshitari asked, his gaze shifting to the doorway as he moved back to his seat. Normally by now whoever was accompanying him would be peeking into the room to see if their presence was required or welcomed.

"Of course not. Kabaji is here with me," Atobe said as he sat in his usual high back chair.

"Only Kabaji? Where are your attendants? Or your advisor? I know how reluctant he's been to let you out of his sight since the attack at the games." Oshitari thought it was quite cute of the usually stoic Tezuka to show his concern so openly.

"Only Kabaji and my guards… for now," Atobe said and glanced at the door himself.

"For now? Are you expecting someone?" Oshtari rather hoped it would be some of the handsome noble attendants that Atobe usually had circling. He was thinking of one in particular and could admit he was a bit disappointed that the king had left him behind.

"Tezuka. I sent him on an errand. I expect he'll track me down here before long."

That was intriguing. Tezuka didn't normally like being used as an errand boy unless it was necessary to keep up the facade of a diligent and loyal advisor. But then maybe the errand was something only an advisor and assassin could handle. Or perhaps, Oshitari thought wistfully to himself, it was the type of an errand only a lover would do.

He had certainly been more than willing to run silly errands with and for Shishido from time to time. Speaking of, it really was quite odd for Atobe to only have his guards with him, especially if he planned on sending Tezuka away. "I see… and your attendants?"

"Overseeing the packing of our belongings for the trip, of course. I assured them that with my guards and my advisor we would be just fine on our own. They seemed more than willing to give us privacy on our trip after that," Atobe said brushing back some hair from his face.

Oshitari had no doubt that the attendants thought that Atobe and Tezuka were sneaking out for a date and not whatever it was they were really up to. "So about this errand…"

"Unimportant. I just needed a reason for him to give us some time alone."

Now that had Oshitari's attention. He leaned forward to hear more and then made a face as two servants swept into the room to prepare tea and deliver a tray of sweets for them. Oshitari dismissed them as swiftly as possible and Atobe watched the door as they left then let out a laugh.

"They certainly have amazing timing," Atobe said.

"That they do. Now tell me. Why did you need me alone."

Atobe leaned forward to add milk to his tea and set a biscuit on the saucer before sitting back in his chair. "I need to know if you've heard anything from Rikkai."

Ah, that would explain why having Tezuka absent would be wise. The man had loyalties to Rikkai that seemed complex and while Oshitari trusted Tezuka enough to honour his agreement to pay off his debt to Atobe he wasn't sure he trusted him with all things relating to the kingdom of his birth.

"What sort of thing are you hoping for?" Oshitari asked. Officially, he played no public role in Atobe's court but in reality, he had a rather widespread information network that kept him in the middle of all news and gossip no matter how frivolous.

"Any news on the rebellion that is fighting against Rikkai. And if Rikkai is showing any signs of further retaliation for what they consider our part in it," Atobe said.

"It seems there has been stirring of a rebel group for a while now. Though the attacks seem small and more annoying to the emperor than truly worrisome. At least until the attack at the tournament. They must have decided to take advantage of the festive atmosphere and Hyoutei's less guarded state."

Atobe nodded and took a small bite of his cookie. He was sure his king had figured that much out already but it bore repeating anyway.

"It's being whispered that the Emperor's captain of the guard has been missing since shortly after the emperor's return," Oshitari added on.

"Oh? Has he taken ill? Perhaps that's the reason he didn't journey here with the emperor and his entourage."

"It's possible. There's also whispers of him finally being fired or jailed. It seems the emperor's arguments with his captain are somewhat legendary."

"Then why would he keep such a man in his employ? Especially as the man in charge of his personal protection," Atobe said. He seemed honestly perplexed by such a thing. But Oshitari supposed that when someone had had the steadfast and quiet support of Kabaji their whole life it was hard to image a captain acting in any other way.

"It's said that his skills go far beyond what anyone else can accomplish and that he is a favourite of Yukimura's," Oshitari let the last statement hang in the air. They both suspected that the emperor's religious advisor had more power in the empire than was shown.

"I see… and he's gone missing?"

"Yes. He's not been seen at court for some time now. Though that may change by the time the next update comes. Still, the timing seems too much of a coincidence to ignore."

"I agree. But has he been sent off to hunt rebels or is he on some secret mission that may harm us?"

"I couldn't say. Hopefully, the next batch of rumours to come my way will be more useful," Oshitari said.

"Will your informants know how to reach you in the coming weeks?" Atobe asked.

"They should. Though do you really plan to be out of the capital for that long?" Atobe had decided, much to his court's horror, to attend the elder Shishido brother's wedding in person, at their estate. The sudden decision came as quite a surprise to everyone, including the Shishido family that had hoped to hold the wedding in the capital - a much more prestigious location and much less taxing on one's wealth as there was no need to host all those travelling in for the momentous occasion.

Oshitari had thought at first to wave it off as Atobe being fickle and perhaps even wanting to be contrary and take advantage of the silly law that forced him to approve of marriages within the nobility. A law that also said he was freely invited to all weddings.

But the younger Shishido brother was one of his favoured courtiers and his king would not want to hurt him just out of boredom and pettiness. Which meant the wedding was being used to cover up something else. Oshitari found it odd he wasn't invited in on what it could be but there was always numerous reasons to play out a game like this close to one's chest.

Oshitari just hoped the reason did not involve the Shishidos. It was cruel to use them as a cover as the financial burden of hosting such a fete on their lands would be a strain on their finances for years to come but it would be so much worse if the Shishido family was being held in suspicion of wrongdoings, especially wrongdoings against the crown.

He debated asking Atobe about it for a moment and caught the look the king was giving him. Atobe was clearly seeing the thoughts going through his head and the stern look being sent his way was telling him it was best to let it be for now.

"I have several things I wish to accomplish while I'm on that side of the kingdom. It's so far from the capital that I do not wish our people there to forget that even though the physical distance is far my presence and care still reaches them," Atobe said. He then leaned over to set his teacup back down on the table and leaned back in the chair.

"But enough of that. I have another question I need answering before my advisor returns. Has there been any mention of him in Rikkai or the emperor's court?"

And with that question, Atobe had efficiently shut down any more talk about his upcoming travels and focused them once more on Rikkai.

"Only the usual gossip you would expect from having found out he's now the advisor to the king of Hyoutei. It seems it was expected in most circles in Rikkai that once he had finished his gallivanting about that he would return and become the emperor's advisor. Most, I hear, believe Tezuka to have been travelling to expand his knowledge and understanding of other countries and cultures as well as to build up relationships and ties to various courts."

"I see… though it seems odd that the assassin's guild would be so well known in the empire but that the members could still enjoy such anonymity if they chose to," Atobe said.

"It does. Though I think it's because, as Tezuka mentioned, that his family was unique in that his father's side had close ties to the court. I don't think many look beyond those for him," Oshitari said. People liked to believe what they saw on the surface, especially if it fit neatly into a narrative they were already building in their head.

"Do you think Tezuka would have ever settled down and become Sanada's advisor?" Atobe asked.

Oshitari was silent a moment as he considered Tezuka and then the situation in Rikkai. "No."

"Really? Why not?" Atobe asked. It was clear he had already drawn up his own ideas on the matter but wished to hear what Oshitari had to say about it.

"I've gotten the feeling from him that he does not fully approve of the way the empire is expanding and threatening those around it. And also, I do not think Yukimura would approve of such an appointment. There seemed to be quite the tension between the two." And Oshitari doubted all that tension was just because they were duelling.

"I agree. Which is why I intend to keep Tezuka exactly where he is for as long as possible."

"By where he is, do you by chance mean in your bed?" Oshitari asked, a teasing smirk taking over his face.

"Shush. You know what I mean," Atobe said. It was cute how his arrogant king could become flustered when Oshitari brought up his romance with the assassin.

"Of course. Now is there anything else you wish to know before he returns?"

"Anything else can wait. Though I would like your input on a few ideas I've been considering to help with our current trading problems."

"Losing access to Rikkai waters is certainly a blow. But I'm sure we'll find a way around it," Oshitari said. The way around it may not be completely ethical or perhaps not as cheap as they'd like but to flourish as a kingdom trade routes had to be established and quickly. The current tariffs and inspections being enforced by Rikkai were all but crippling their ships.

"I was wondering if you had any thoughts on the pirate named Kite. He's supposed to excel at moving goods," Atobe said.

"You're thinking of going with pirates?" Oshitari was fairly surprised by that move. But even as he asked that his mind was already weighing the pros and cons and he could see the allure to giving money to pirates instead of the Rikkai Empire. But it was not without risk.

"I'm planning on thoroughly examining all of my options. I'm arranging a meeting with him while near Port Kagami. I don't want pirates gallivanting around the capital."

"I suppose it makes more sense to meet them out of the way then. Would you like me to further investigate this pirate captain?" Oshitari asked. He didn't really have many connections in the pirate world but he was sure some of his acquaintances in the merchant and traders guilds would have heard at least rumours about the man.

"If you could. I want to go into the meeting as informed as possible."

"Then you'll be consulting your assassin?" Oshitari asked. He leaned forward to refresh both of their teas from the pot and placed a piece of cake on his plate.

"In time. You know how he's been lately. I don't need him worrying about one friendly meeting between myself and a pirate."

Oshitari chuckled at Atobe's put out look. "You say that. But I'm quite sure that you've been enjoying the extra attention from him. I dare you to say you haven't."

Atobe flicked his hair back out of his face and then stared at Oshitari before picking up his tea and fussing with it for a moment. "You know I always enjoy the attention. Especially from handsome men staying in the Queen's suite of rooms."

"That was a very roundabout way of saying you're enjoying every minute of attention," Oshitari said still chuckling.

"Hush you," Atobe countered in his most royal voice.

That just caused Oshitari to laugh all the more but before he could continue teasing, the man in question stepped into the room as if summoned by their talk.

"Your Majesty, Lord Oshitari," Tezuka said with a small bow. A courtesy he likely wouldn't have given if it wasn't for the staff member trailing in his wake.

"Tezuka, what a pleasant surprise. Please make yourself comfortable. We were just discussing the little tour, his majesty is planning," Oshitari said gesturing for Tezuka to take a seat and then motioning for the servant to withdraw.

"I'm sure you were," Tezuka said eyeing them both as he set aside the parcel he was carrying and sat down gracefully on the chair.

Oshitari may have had his initial doubts about Tezuka but he was glad that each day those were proved false. Especially since it was such a joy to watch Tezuka, he moved with such grace and sophistication which Oshitari was sure was a combination of a noble upbringing and deadly assassin training. Though even more than that, he enjoyed watching Tezuka interact with Atobe and slowly become more receptive to his king's bullish attempts at seducing the man that had tried to kill him.

"Did you get everything like we asked?" Atobe asked, obviously using his more royal speech as the servant was likely still near.

"Yes. And I finished the errand you asked me to do, too," Tezuka said. He then pulled an envelope out of an inside pocket of his jacket and passed it over to Atobe who immediately stowed it away in a similar location without lingering to look at it or allowing Oshitari to see it properly.

How intriguing. Oshitari was sure he could find out most of the places Tezuka had visited while Atobe was here but he also knew that if Tezuka didn't want his location to be known it would be quite difficult for Oshitari to track him. Though not being able to track Tezuka's movements would help Oshitari find out if the requests were inane or something more troublesome and secretive.

"I can hear the gears of your mind working from here, Yuushi," Atobe said. And the use of his first name caught his attention. It wasn't rare for Atobe to use it, but he mostly did when trying to emphasize a point or if they'd been drinking a bit too much.

"And? You present a curious puzzle to me and expect gears not to turn?"

"Of course not. It was probably rude to tempt you like this. But as your king, though mostly as your friend, don't go looking into this, Yuushi," Atobe said.

Oshitari looked from Atobe to Tezuka, who was giving nothing away, and then back to Atobe. "Not even to ask to what's in the bag?" That he assumed was something he could ask about though that mystery letter was not.

"Items that will be needed on the trip," Tezuka answered before Atobe could.

"Such as?" Oshitari leaned forward to try and get a look inside.

"A few personal items as well as some gifts."

Atobe nodded in agreement to Tezuka's statement. Oshitari wondered how much of that was essential that Tezuka pick up himself now and how much was devised just to keep him busy. "Well, I suppose it's good to be prepared as you'll be gone several weeks."

"We'll," Atobe corrected.

Oshitari frowned at that. He did plan on going to the Shishido estate for the wedding and to spend a week there with Shishido being given the full tour of the area but the last he checked he had not agreed to being dragged across the kingdom as part of the king's entourage. "No. I'm quite sure we made separate plans."

"We did. But now they have joined."

"Is there a reason for the joining?"

"Do we need a reason to want our loyal subject near us?" Atobe asked in his kingly voice.

"No. But one would be nice to give to his friend anyway."

"I thought you'd enjoy a chance to spend more time with Shishido. He's decided to stay with us until we're only a couple of days out. Then he plans to ride ahead and help with the last of the preparations. You'd be more than welcome to go with him then."

Oshitari eyed Atobe closely. His friend and king did enjoy spoiling people. And inviting him along on what could be a rather exciting trip across the kingdom where he would have limited responsibilities and plenty of time to spend in the company of one of his lovely attendants was certainly a way to be spoiled. But he also felt there was more to it than that. But was he the one being distracted or was Shishido.

He really did not like where this was going. And unfortunately, the only way to see where it truly was going and to try to improve the outcome for himself and for Shishido was to go along with the king for now.

"When put so sweetly, how could I resist? But your reasons make me more nervous about this than reassured," Oshitari pointed out.

Tezuka shook his head at the two and then leaned forward to make himself tea. "I believe he's saying you laid it on too thickly, Atobe. He's going to start thinking that you really do want him digging into this mystery despite what you say."

Oshitari sighed. He had been thinking just that. And now he wasn't sure if Tezuka was calling Atobe out to further reinforce Atobe's stance or to make sure that he did the opposite.

"As if you are helping," Atobe said. "If I left it up to you, half the people involved would likely have disappeared by now."

Tezuka's lips quirked up the barest hint and Oshitari was momentarily distracted by the mystery as he once again was given a front row seat to the intricacies of Atobe and Tezuka's odd relationship.

"I'm not that ruthless nor careless," Tezuka said.

"Perhaps not normally. But are you going to say you have not been extra protective of me of late?" Atobe asked leaning so he was half draped across the arm of his chair toward Tezuka.

"I dropped my guard and you were nearly killed for it. I don't think anyone would object to me taking extra precautions."

"As much as I enjoy having you in my bed, it would be much more exciting if the cause was not your fear of my guards' inability to do their job."

Tezuka sighed and then reached over to lay a hand lightly on Atobe's arm. "You are a king and you have enemies. I only wish to keep you safe from those enemies. But I am not going to go around recklessly murdering half of the kingdom to do so no matter what you think…. I do have some restraint…."

Oddly, the last bit caused Atobe to laugh and after giving Tezuka's hand on his arm a pat he fell back into his chair. "Some. But not much." He laughed some more and Oshitari knew he was going to have to ask Shishido if he had heard or witnessed an event that Atobe would consider a moment of Tezuka failing to have restraint. He was surprised he hadn't heard about it already though with his attention focused toward Rikkai at Atobe's request, it was easy enough to miss some of the going ons at the castle.

"If you two have finished flirting, I do believe we were supposed to be discussing the finer details of this trip that I am now going on."

"Yes. Yes. Of course. I think I have that out of my system now," Atobe said with a final chuckle. Tezuka seemed mildly put out but said nothing as he sipped his tea.

Oshitari may not have wanted to go along with them on their kingdom tour to the Shishido estate but he certainly would enjoy the front row seat as Atobe and Tezuka's relationship continued to evolve. He was sure the time away from the capital would give them ample time to delve deeper into their romantic sides… he hoped.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Tezuka looked up as his secretary, Nishikori, knocked on the semi-open door before entering. He had a stack of papers and envelopes with him that made Tezuka internally cringe. He was never one to shirk his duties or his studies but since taking up more actual duties as Atobe's advisor he found himself practically buried under a mountain of papers each day.

He had optimistically hoped to escape some of it during their travels to the Shishido estate but it seemed that such things were going to find him wherever he was. And currently, he was holed up in the suite of rooms assigned to Atobe during his stay at a Duke's residence just under three days of riding from the capital. Atobe had apparently commandeered several rooms on the first floor for as his office and meeting area but with space rapidly running out - a King did not travel with a small entourage and they had to share space with the duke's already sizeable household staff - Tezuka decided to set up his own office in Atobe's rooms.

There were several reasons for that decision with the biggest being that it was quiet and he actually had his own space and even an anteroom to hold all those that were waiting to see him or were working under him. He wasn't exactly sure when or how he had acquired his own staff but was mostly thankful for them as his workload showed no sign of decreasing.

He also chose this location because he hoped that if he was not in the middle of the court being held on the first floor he might actually avoid some of the work. He also was hopeful that by being out of sight and in a room that most people would be to intimidated to approach that it would deter people from seeking him out. Unfortunately, there seemed to be no luck that as it seemed that word was getting out that if they had less than wonderful news to share that it was best to go through Atobe's advisor and lover. It also seemed people believed that going through him was more effective than going through any of the normal channels.

Which was ridiculous as he really should have no power over decisions made for the treasury, the military or even agriculture. The fact that he actually did seem to have power over them and numerous other parts of the kingdom was both astounding and worrisome. People should not be so willing to hand over such power to an unknown man who really only had a position because people believed the king enjoyed spoiling his favourite bedwarmer. It was even worse that so many of Atobe's ministers seemed happy to let him make decisions when he in fact only had this position so that Atobe could abuse the life debt owed to him by the man who tried to assassinate him in the middle of the night.

But that was another reason Tezuka was here. Having permission and the audacity to set up his office in the inner sanctum of the king's suite only confirmed people's belief that the two of them were intimate and Tezuka held the king's favour and attention. Atobe had been more than delighted to approve Tezuka's idea saying something ridiculous about always knowing where to find Tezuka and rather enjoying the thought of the man waiting for him in his rooms if not specifically his bed. Atobe was ridiculous as always but, Tezuka thought with a small smile, also wonderfully clever and ruthless when he desired.

Before his thoughts could be sidetracked further, he held out his hand for the papers that his secretary had. "I didn't think we were expecting any more post runs today," Tezuka said. He had thought he would actually be done today's work early enough to enjoy a ride before supper. It seemed he would have to push back such adventuring until the evening but he supposed that suited the purpose of his ride just as well.

"Apparently several documents came by sea just after the earlier post was sent out. They felt it best to not delay them by waiting a day," Nishikori said.

Tezuka nodded and began to skim through the documents that Nishikori had passed him. Most of them could have easily had waited until tomorrow's post arrived but he assumed the most time sensitive documents had ended up with Atobe's secretaries. But there was one letter that might require an immediate response from him.

"Thank you Nishikori. Can you add this to the post heading back to the capital today? And I'll let you know if there's anything that needs to be added." Tezuka set down the papers he had been given and picked up a stack of papers that were ready to be transported back to the capital. He handed them to the secretary with a thank you and watched as he left the room.

With Atobe and numerous nobles and ministers out of the capital daily courier runs between the capital and the King's current residence was a common thing. He imagined the inns along the highway were enjoying the boost in business and made a note on a paper to speak with Kabaji about the number of guards and soldiers making rounds and stationed along the route. The further Atobe moved into the countryside towards the Shishido estate the more people transporting important documents would be moving along the route. It would be wise to safeguard them against any bandits who thought to prosper off of them. He assumed Kabaji and the general had already thought of such things but it never hurt to confirm. Especially if foreign royalty was going to be sending missives.

Tezuka stared down at the wax seal of the king of Seigaku and wondered just what Echizen had to say that it was being directed at him and not Atobe. With the official seal, he doubted it was Echizen's usual letters of requests to visit and enter the prestigious knight's tournament held there each year.

Breaking the seal, Tezuka opened the envelope and took out the letter and once again wished that Echizen's tutors had been stricter when Echizen had been a prince. His penmanship was not what it should be. Neither was his etiquette. It was one thing for a spoiled prince to make such demands and mistakes. It was another for a king - no matter how young and inexperienced said king might be.

He would have to write to Oishi to see if he could speak some sense into Echizen and remind him of how one sovereign was supposed to talk to another and how it could be seen as hostile to show up uninvited. Not that Tezuka wouldn't enjoy seeing Echizen and see how he had grown in their time apart but he did not feel that bringing Echizen and Atobe together would lead to anything good.

This letter also made it clear that Echizen's older brother, Ryoga, was either not taking his role of regent seriously or was far too fond of his little brother and happy to indulge him in even the most ridiculous of plans. Tezuka considered just for a moment about penning Ryoga a letter as well but then thought better of it. They had never been close and he didn't want to appear as equally rude back by pushing into places he didn't belong.

He pulled out several pieces of paper not watermarked with the crest of Hyoutei and debated what to write to the headstrong youth.

"You look as if you could use a break," A voice purred from the door.

"I'm sorry, lord Tezuka. He said that it was urgent and wouldn't take no for an answer," Nishikori said, popping up beside Oshitari and shooting the man dark looks between apologetic ones sent Tezuka's way.

Tezuka waved him off. He doubted there were few people who could stop Oshitari from doing what he wanted. Never mind that he was a titled lord and wealthier than most, he was also good friends with the king who notoriously indulged him more than he should. "It's fine. I should probably take a break anyway."

Tezuka rose and gestured for Oshitari to take a seat. He then moved to the door to close it tightly before sitting across from Oshitari in the small sitting area.

"Your secretary is rather protective of you. Or is it scared?" Oshitari asked as he set down the tray of tea and snacks he carried.

"Both I believe. He got quite the lecture after letting people come and go into my office as they pleased," Tezuka said. He then leaned forward and helped himself to the tea, pouring a second cup for Oshitari.

"I see. Now, what had you looking so contemplative before I arrived? Surely the work finding you here is not so dire."

Tezuka gave a half smile as he relaxed back into his seat. He took a sip of his tea as he assessed Oshitari. He suspected the man was still trying to solve some of the secrets that Atobe and him were keeping him out of. But Tezuka wasn't about to share those as the man across from him could potentially put a wrinkle in Atobe's unfolding plans despite not being directly involved with the problem.

Fortunately, that's not what was causing him troubles. "I received a letter from King Echizen. He wishes to come to see me and says that no monkey king should be allowed to deny him seeing his tutor."

Oshitari blinked and then laughed. "Did he actually call Atobe a monkey king? His majesty will become quite angered if ever hears that."

"That is putting it mildly. Rest of the letter is not much better. I'm afraid I have to walk a fine balance with him if we wish to keep up our good relationship with the country. I also plan on penning a letter to one of his advisors." Tezuka left unsaid what he was going to write to the advisor about but he was sure Oshitari could guess.

"Why is he so determined to see you anyway? I know you have quite a reputation there and was his tutor for a time but surely you two did not bond so deeply. Is it a crush?" Oshitari asked before picking at the sweets he had brought up.

Tezuka shook his head a bit amused at the idea of Echizen having a crush on him… or anyone. Unless things had changed drastically in the past year then he was sure Echizen was still more focused on his fighting skills and now running a country than he was of amorous feelings.

"No. Not a crush. Though something just as annoying," Tezuka said. He took a sip of his tea before deciding to just tell Oshitari his thoughts on why Echizen was so infatuated with seeing him again.

"I don't see what could be more annoying than a one-sided crush. It is good for neither party, trust me," Oshitari said.

"Echizen is the type of person who enjoys a challenge and defeating all who stand in his way. His goal used to be his father… but unfortunately the king was taken from him before he could ever show him up as a fighter." Tezuka didn't see the need to remind Oshitari just how Echizen came to lose his father so suddenly before such a quest could be accomplished.

"His focus has now shifted to me. He sees me as the strongest fighter he knows and as he could never best me when I was his tutor it's obvious that he still wishes to do so. As his tutor, it was good that he had that drive and determination to grow and defeat me. But now, it seems to lead to letters like that one," Tezuka said gesturing to his desk.

"Yes, I suppose that is rather annoying. He strikes me as stubborn as well so I doubt you'll easily convince him that he does not need to best you to be a great fighter in his own right."

Tezuka nodded and took a final sip of his tea before setting it back down onto the tray. "It's unfortunate that he had to become a king so young. He has an enormous amount of potential and is an amazing learner when he wishes to apply himself. I'm sure he would have made a reputation for himself in the dueling tournaments if had had a chance to participate." A prince may enter such things in his youth but a king, no matter how young, would be frowned at for doing so.

"Yes. There is always fallout when a ruler dies seemingly before his time," Oshitari said vaguely enough but with enough real regret to show that he still did not fully support the decision to kill someone even if it was for the good of both kingdoms in the end. "But his ability to learn and grow will make for good qualities in a king if he can be convinced to use them for things outside of fighting."

"True. Which is why I plan on composing the second letter," Tezuka said. He wasn't sure it would work in the long run but if he could put Echizen off until his current assignment for Atobe was finished and the situation with Rikkai was more stable than he could probably request time away to visit Seigaku.

Convincing Atobe to not make such a thing a state visit just so he could follow along would likely be just as hard as convincing Echizen to stay in his own kingdom but he supposed these were the duties of an advisor, assassin and noble of Rikkai if he wished to keep tentative peace between the kingdoms.

"Then I suppose I will leave you to it. I just thought I would check in on you and make sure you had not perished under the weight of the kingdom's paperwork or had resorted to sneaking out the window yet," Oshitari said with a small chuckle.

"Not quite yet for either. And thank you for the tea," Tezuka said. He stood and went to open the door for Oshitari who had reclaimed his tray.

"We'll be expecting you at dinner. I'll make sure your secretary knows to remind you." Oshitari checked that he had everything and then headed out the door. Tezuka shook his head as he heard Oshitari telling his secretary about dinner. But for now, he'd compose his letters and see what else had the ministers and nobles back at the capital panicked enough to write to him. Perhaps there would be a big enough crisis that would require him to send his apologies to the duke about having to miss dinner.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Atobe looked up as the door to the meeting room opened wondering who could be disturbing a meeting that was supposed to be secret and where his guards should have stopped anyone.

"Keigo, I wanted to ask you abo-oh," Tezuka said as he came into view and saw that Atobe wasn't alone.

Tezuka should have been occupied all afternoon helping to arrange various meetings and plans for the next few days before the wedding and definitely stuck surrounded by messengers from various ministers he had left back in the capital. Atobe had made sure that Tezuka's schedule was full so that he wouldn't stumble into this meeting with the notorious pirate captain. But even knowing he was in for a lecture later, he couldn't help but smile slightly as he took in the sight of his advisor.

Before he could make introductions or offer explanations or even, on the off chance that Tezuka was feeling whimsical, suggest a kiss in greeting, the man beside him had sprung to his feet.

"Tezukaaaa!" Kite, the pirate captain, roared.

Before Atobe was even fully aware of what was happening, Kite was across the room with his short sword pressed against Tezuka's neck. The folder filled with papers Tezuka had been carrying now laid scattered on the floor as Tezuka held a small dagger against Kite's stomach.

Where that dagger had come from, Atobe couldn't say. Especially since he had had the pleasure of watching Tezuka dress this morning and noticed no weapons on him except the sword that was still strapped to his hip.

"What is going on here?" Atobe finally demanded as his brain finally caught up with what happened.

"Nothing to be worried about your majesty. I'm just taking care of a rat problem you have," Kite said as he glanced over at Atobe.

"Hmph." Tezuka seemed less than impressed with Kite's talk and proved it by taking advantage of Kite's momentary distraction.

In a flurry of clothes and blurred limbs that ended with a clatter of a weapon falling to the floor Tezuka had taken out Kite. The pirate king was now on his back on the floor with Tezuka's dagger pressed against his neck and Tezuka's knee firmly pressed against his chest to hold him in place.

"What is the pirate king doing here, Atobe?" Tezuka asked, keeping his eyes firmly on Kite. It seemed Tezuka knew better than Kite to not be distracted.

"We were having what should have been a private and secret meeting." Atobe didn't miss that he was now Atobe again instead of Keigo. Oh well, at least he hadn't reverted back fully to titles which meant that Tezuka wasn't completely annoyed with him.

"Why?" Atobe couldn't tell if Tezuka was addressing him still or if he was now speaking to Kite who looked to be struggling for air.

"He's no good to me dead, Tezuka. I'm sure he will behave himself if you let him breathe again," Atobe said. He stood from his chair and moved closer to the pair and picked up the sword. Just in case Kite really didn't feel like behaving it was best to have the weapon not so easily at hand.

Tezuka stayed where he was a moment before easing off of Kite a little though the dagger was still held steady at Kite's neck. "You cannot be so desperate to establish new trade routes that you would work with a pirate. You know they have no loyalty."

"We have more loyalty than you," Kite spat out.

Atobe quirked an eyebrow at the two and set the sword on the table before crossing his arms. "I take it you two know each other." Somehow Atobe felt he should have been more surprised than he was.

"He crippled half my fleet and ruined one of the most lucrative hauls we've ever had." Kite was practically spitting with anger and Atobe wondered if the two could ever be trusted in the same room without supervision. Still, it did seem like an intriguing story and he wondered if he would be able to coax it fully out of Tezuka if he plied him with enough wine and kisses. Had Tezuka played the role of a dashing pirate for a while?

"It was merely business. Nothing personal, I assure you."

Atobe's eyebrows shot up higher at Tezuka's tone. That was not the usual stoic voice he was used to but instead the rather scathing one that Tezuka seemed to save for those he felt so far beneath him that they really should have thought twice before wasting his time. It was odd that Atobe usually heard that voice directed more towards incompetent ministers and never to any servants.

"I'm not reassured. Especially since you still have your dagger against my throat. Your majesty, could you please call off your rat?" Kite said.

"He is not a rat," Atobe said though he did not dispute ownership over Tezuka. "But he is right, Tezuka. Let him up so we can conduct the conversation like the civil people we all pretend to be," Atobe said. He then went back to take his seat as an example for the two pretenders in the room on just what was expected from civility.

Tezuka sent a chilling glare at Kite before pulling back his dagger and gracefully standing. He gathered his papers, one eye trained on Kite, before joining Atobe at the table. Atobe gave him a small smile for cooperating and not killing the pirate.

Kite huffed but did resume his seat at the table as well and Atobe relaxed slightly. While this was not how Atobe saw the meeting going, perhaps having everything out in the open between his advisor and the pirate king would work better for him in the end.

"You should send him back to the seas, your majesty," Tezuka said, eyes trained on Kite.

"I was invited here to do business, Tezuka. And when you're done playing whatever games you're playing here with the king you can bet I'll be back for you," Kite said.

"Gentlemen. While I admit to being intrigued about your dubious history, that's not what we're here to discuss. Now can I trust you two to set aside differences for the moment so that we can do business that should be lucrative to us all?" Atobe asked.

"There's no business with a pirate that can be lucrative, your majesty," Tezuka said stiffly.

"Ha! It's plenty lucrative if we don't have a traitor sinking our boats," Kite countered.

Atobe shook his head at both of them. He knew that Tezuka would have reservations about his idea but he did not expect Tezuka to be so antagonistic about it. It was unfortunate that Tezuka seemed to have a bad history with the pirate king. Even worse, he was back to being his majesty.

It was time to give up on optimism over this meeting being a success and reschedule for another time. Clearly things were not going to work as wanted for the time being.

"My apologies, Kite. It seems we will have to resume our meeting at another time," Atobe said.

"You know how to reach me when you figure out how to get this one back on his leash. Or if you want him disposed of, you know how to reach me for that one, too. Just remember, don't trust him. He's more than he seems," Kite said. He stood and cast a hard glare at Tezuka while he did so.

"Where is your entourage, Kite?" Tezuka asked quietly, clearly not bothering to comment on any of the comments from the pirate.

"Here and there. They don't always follow me around like puppies no matter your past opinion on them."

"Are you sure? Because I don't think I've seen you go anywhere without at least one of them shadowing you."

Atobe watched the two and wondered if he should be concerned about steel being drawn again. Especially now that he was between the two.

"I assure you, there are plenty of places I go to without them following. His majesty requested privacy and I told the boys I had private business. They're either in the near by time doing their own business or waiting back on the boat. You should remember how things went, Tezuka," Kite said. He then reached for the sword that Atobe had earlier taken from him and slid it back into the scabbard.

"I remember, Kite," Tezuka said and didn't say anything more. But Atobe thought his eyes were doing the talking now by the look he was giving Kite.

Kite didn't seem bothered by the calculated and hard look being sent his way. He picked up his feathered hat, did a ridiculous flourished bow with it and placed it back on his head. "A pleasure, your majesty. Tezuka." He gave Tezuka a brisk nod that was not at all polite before pivoting and striding out of the room.

"Well that was fun," Atobe said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Just what do you have against the pirate besides the usual complaints?"

Tezuka waited a moment as if he was listening to something only he could hear, before he took a breath and relaxed slightly. "As he said, I worked under him for a time. I know exactly how he does business and you will certainly regret becoming entangled in it."

"Details, Tezuka. Despite what the gossipmongers believe I don't make all my decisions on your opinion alone," Atobe said. "Would you like tea?"

Tezuka frowned at him and then frowned further at the suggestion of tea but after a moment he gave a nod. "That would be nice. I imagine we will be here until we are both satisfied."

"At least intellectually. But if you want to satisfy me physically, too, I am certainly open to it," Atobe said with a teasing purr to his voice as he leaned into Tezuka's personal space. "Is that why you came looking for me earlier, Kunimitsu?"

Tezuka let out a light snort at the words before reaching past Atobe to grab the bell and rang it to call a servant into the room. "Tea and some snacks. Whatever is on hand," Tezuka said when a young serving girl poked her head into the room to see what was required. She bowed and hastily retreated.

"Are you that angry with me?"

"Yes… and no," Tezuka said giving an answer that was no answer at all.

Atobe lifted a brow to encourage him to go on.

"I'm angry that you would think to have secret dealings I would not know about. And I'm angry that you feel so backed into a corner by my actions and Rikkai that you would resort to pirates. You should have trusted in those around you, Atobe."

"I see. I suppose you make a fair point. But I felt we had exhausted all of our avenues and with how protective you've been since the tournament, I felt it best to make the initial meetings without you." That at least had seemed like a wise idea seeing how rapidly the meeting had deteriorated once Tezuka had been included.

"We've not exhausted all of them yet. And if I'm protective, it's with good reasons. You should not being meeting with pirate kings behind closed doors. I didn't even see Kabaji in the hall," Tezuka said.

"Ah… I told him I was going over paperwork in here all afternoon and that he was free to train with the other guards who were off duty." Atobe knew just by looking at Tezuka's expression that he was going to tell Kabaji about his deception and that his captain of the guard was going to have words with him. True, they would not be many words, but the look Kabaji would be giving him and the disappointed tone would more than make up for the short lecture.

"And you wonder why Kabaji and I worry about you… you've been reckless lately, Keigo."

Despite the concerned tone and look, Atobe felt himself relax a little. Tezuka might be angry at him, but that Keigo proved that he wasn't truly angry. He could handle temporary anger just fine. He was about to reply when the servant returned with a tray laden with all types of fruits and sweets as well as a large teapot.

The baron they were intruding on was skipping no expense to see that they were well looked after. Atobe would have to make sure to leave him a suitable thank you gift when they finally parted from here. There were many nobles and wealthy merchants he wanted to remind who was king and what the laws of Hyoutei were as he travelled to the Shishido estate, but the baron wasn't one of them. He didn't want to leave the man and his family struggling because of the luxuries they provided for the king and his court.

"Thank you. We will serve ourselves. And please tell the guards at the door that we are not to be disturbed," Atobe said. And with Tezuka already moving his seat closer to Atobe and pouring them both tea, he was sure the servant and then the guards would assume they were taking a lovers' tea break and not actually working.

That was fine with Atobe. He liked Tezuka in exactly the way the rumours said, though he was not quite as stupidly trusting and blind as the rumours implied but it was certainly no hardship to have his kingdom and the empire of Rikkai believing he had Tezuka naked and calling his name each night.

The servant bowed, a light blush to her cheeks as she left the room, closing the door quietly behind her. Tezuka continued to fuss with the tea and even plated a selection of sweets and fruits for them both before finally settling back into his chair and turning once more to Atobe.

"He will betray you if you give him a chance," Tezuka said with no preamble.

"I plan on paying him well for his services. He should have no reason to look for betrayal let alone find it."

"He's a pirate. He's very good at finding more money. He has the king of Hyoutei using his services to circumnavigate the Rikkai navy. He could easily go to Rikkai and work out a better deal, or fearing the way Rikkai might handle them, he could find one of your enemies willing to pay them to make sure the goods did not reach their destination or that something else unsavoury happened. They are not be to trusted," Tezuka said, his eyes never wavering from Atobe's.

Atobe gave a sigh. He had thought of such things, especially about Kite going to Rikkai and selling him out. It would lead to even higher tensions between their two kingdoms; tensions that they could ill afford right now. But he had not quite thought ahead to more local enemies that would be happy to use their wealth to see that Atobe suffered.

"Will no price guarantee their loyalty?" Atobe asked.

"Of course. Even pirates have to maintain loyalty at times if they are to keep attracting business. But considering your position, I think the price for loyalty will start making the tariffs and fees Rikkai wants to impose seem the better choice."

Tezuka picked up a piece of fruit from his plate and looked at it a moment before eating it. The small smile that appeared for a fleeting second made Atobe wonder just what it was he had eaten.

"What was that?" Atobe asked.

"Hmm?" Tezuka asked and then picked up another piece. "Pineapple. I didn't think they could be acquired in Hyoutei." He held up the piece to Atobe's lips.

Atobe hesitated just a moment, feeling warmth flood his cheeks as opened his mouth and allowed Tezuka to feed him. It was odd how one gesture could make him feel both embarrassed and aroused at the same time.

He quickly looked down at the other pieces of pineapple on the main platter as he began to chew. The sweet taste flooded his mouth and while the texture was a bit odd he found he rather enjoyed it. He turned back to Tezuka to see that the other man had been watching him.

"Well?" Tezuka asked.

"It's good. I can't believe I've never had it before." If exquisite and exotic foods were served anywhere in the kingdom more than at his castle he didn't know it. But somehow this little yellow fruit had never been one he'd encountered. "Where is it from?"

"Places that stay warm all year. I had them quite often when I spent time in Rokkaku. It's part of the empire now but still maintains a level of autonomy," Tezuka explained.

Atobe nodded. He would have to ask the baron just how he had obtained such fruits and if it would be possible to get the same at the palace. Though even if Rokkaku had some autonomy from the empire, he doubted Rikkai would approve of them trading fruits with Hyoutei. Perhaps other areas also grew the fruit.

"Do you think our host has trade deals with the pirates himself?" Atobe asked as he looked at some of the other foreign delicacies on their plates.

Tezuka shook his head. He and Kabaji had been quite thorough at vetting both the people and the places they'd be encountering on their journey. If anyone could find shady pirate ties, he supposed it would be them.

"Though with the pirates in town, I'm sure they sold goods in the city and the merchants there would sell it on to the locals, especially a local baron looking to impress his king," Tezuka said.

"I don't suppose it makes you warm up to the idea of pirates?" Atobe asked. Though with how sure Tezuka was that he would be betrayed no matter what he offered, he doubted Tezuka would do any warming to the idea of Kite.

"No. Though it doesn't mean I don't appreciate what the grey and black markets can provide me at times."

Atobe nodded and ate another slice of pineapple to keep from sighing. Grey markets he could tolerate. They mostly just broke smaller laws and seldom did any long lasting harm but he really did despise the black markets. From what information his people had gathered about them, there was very little to redeem them. The procurement of goods often led to sorrow and what was sold often led to more. Though as an assassin, he supposed the black market was a useful place to acquire tools of the trade.

"One problem at a time, Keigo," Tezuka said. Clearly the sigh was not completely hidden.

"If only the kingdom worked that way," Atobe said.

"Perhaps it will one day. But until then, let us handle the numerous things we're already juggling before you task us to solve the black market problem," Tezuka said.

Atobe could do nothing but agree. His current plans were already, as Tezuka was swift to point out, a little reckless. There was no reason to stretch his resources even thinner by sending them off on the near impossible quest of stopping the black market for good.

"Then if we're doing that. How do you suggest we solve our trade problem if not by pirates. And not by trading you," Atobe quickly added as he wanted to make sure that Tezuka wouldn't try to be self-sacrificing. He didn't think it would happen since Tezuka still owed him a life debt but he didn't want to even let the idea settle in Tezuka's mind.

Tezuka was silent for a moment, both of them sipping tea and eating the treats provided to them. Atobe, while wanting an answer, was happy to enjoy a comfortable and quiet moment with Tezuka. With being on the road and all the balls they had in the air, such moments were rare and precious.

"I may have a solution. But I'm not sure you'll like it."

Well, if that wasn't ominous. But not liking something was a step up from impossible and risks of betrayal. "I'm listening," He said and did just that as Tezuka began to explain his idea.

Tezuka was right. He didn't like it. But he had to admit, liking it or not, it just may work. It wasn't a long term solution but in the short term, while they repaired relations with Rikkai, it was probably the best they could do.


	14. What Lies Beneath - Chapter Two

Oshitari smiled as he quietly slid into the room being used to house the king's wardrobe. Shishido was working with his back to the door, humming quietly to himself as he did so. It was cute.

Oshitari watched for a moment longer before moving in and wrapping his arms around Shishido to give him a small scare. But unfortunately, before he could say anything, Shishido's elbow went flying back and jabbed him in the stomach.

He abruptly let go of Shishido with a curse and bent over in half as he clutched his abused stomach.

"Oh shit! Yuushi?!" Shishido said as he spun around and saw just who his 'attacker' was. "Are you okay?" Shishido's hands were hovering above him and moving frantically. It would have been funny if Oshitari could have found the breath to laugh at it.

Nodding, Oshitari tried to wave Shishido off before he did more harm and moved to the love seat in the room and collapsed onto it. Shishido quickly followed and crouched down in front of him to get a better look at him.

It was a couple more minutes before Oshitari felt like he could breathe without pain and actually start to appreciate the view of Shishido on his knees between his legs and looking up at him with concern.

"I'm okay now... I think. I didn't realize your elbow was quite so pointy," Oshitari said, trying to make light of the situation.

"Shut up," Shishido said in a surly tone though his frowning face told Oshitari that he was upset at hurting him more than he was annoyed at the teasing. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I had some free time and thought to search you out since you weren't with the king. He suggested I might find you here." Oshitari reached out to run his fingers through Shishido's hair and smiled when Shishido sat back on his heels and rested his head against Oshitari's knee. There was something comfortable and trusting of this position that made Oshitari's breath catch in his lungs for reasons that had nothing to do with Shishido's elbow.

"Yeah… well next time try not to give me a heart attack. I could have hurt you," Shishido complained. His voice didn't have the usual heat to it so Oshitari figured he could be a little devious and press his advantage and get Shishido to be nicer to him than he might usually be. He had to make sure his internal organs didn't suffer in vain.

"I'll remember that. Though you usually aren't so jumpy. Is something wrong?"

"No. It's just weird being away from the palace I guess… more strangers, less security. I don't envy Kabaji. He must be working overtime to keep his majesty safe," Shishido said.

"At least he finally trusts Tezuka to keep him safe when they're together. That helps to ease the burden." Oshitari continued to pet Shishido's hair, thoughts momentarily drifting back to the time he convinced Shishido into a dress.

"Yeah. It's sort of cute watching those two together lately. Tezuka used to be so stoic but now it's easy to catch him glancing at Atobe or making excuses to be together. Atobe even dismissed us all the other day so he and Tezuka could go on a private ride and picnic."

Oshitari highly doubted that Tezuka and Atobe had actually gone off on a date. They were much more likely to use that time to continue their scheming. Oshitari usually didn't mind that the two of them used their relationship to help cover the fact that they were working on solving Hyoutei's problems in underhanded ways. But lately he had been noticeably kept out of the loop and it was starting to bother him.

If Atobe didn't legitimately need information from Rikkai and the capital while he was away so badly Oshitari would have long since turned his attention to whatever those two were up to. But if Shishido wanted to believe that they were on a date, he would not correct his lover. Shishido wasn't known for being overly romantic so any indication that he was embracing some hidden romantic side was to be fully encouraged.

"Jealous? I could take you out for a picnic if you'd like," Oshitari drawled giving Shishido his best seductive look.

"Unlike you, I have work to do. And I'm not sure how wise it is to be too public with our relationship out here."

Oshitari frowned at that. Their relationship was technically secret but every day in the capital it seemed to be less and less of one and Oshitari found he didn't care at all who knew that he was dating the second son of a minor baron. It was no worse a scandal than Atobe giving his foreign lover the title of advisor.

"We have the king's permission. We shouldn't be afraid of others finding out."

"I know… it's just… I haven't told my family. And as we get closer… you know how nobles gossip. It's even worse for the ones out here. There's nothing else to do but gossip. It's all pretty lame," Shishido said and then gave a heavy sigh.

"Let them. I would yell from the rooftop you're mine if I knew you wouldn't push me off of it to stop me from embarrassing you," Oshitari said.

"You'd deserve it for doing something so dumb. I don't see how anyone could find that romantic. Especially when there's better things you could be doing with your mouth." Shishido lifted up a little and slid his hands up to rest on Oshitari's thighs.

Oshitari took the hint and smiled down at Shishido before cupping his face gently with his hand and leaning down so that his lips just brushed against Shishido's as he spoke. "Like kissing?"

"Like kissing," Shishido said. And as his eyes drifted closed, Oshitari pressed his lips to Shishido's and kissed him gently.

He pulled back after a moment and smiled seductively at his lover. "You're right. That's much better than yelling from the rooftops. Though I know something that would be even better?"

"Yeah? What's that?" Shishido asked.

Oshitari smirked slightly as he spread his legs a bit further and gestured between them. "It'd be a shame for me to not take advantage of the pretty position you've put yourself in." And being in the king's closet just added to the excitement of it.

"You're such a pervert," Shishido complained. But even as he hit his arm with one hand, the other moved to the front of his breeches to start tugging on the laces.

Oshitari couldn't help the soft moan that escaped his lips as Shishido slid back down onto the ground and looked up at him as he worked at opening his pants. The man was the perfect combination of sin and beauty.

And while he hadn't come to find Shishido for this, or not solely for this, he wasn't about to waste such a lovely opportunity. Discussing Shishido's plans on travelling early to his family's home and perhaps allowing them both to go to assist with wedding preparations would just have to wait. It wasn't every day he had the chance to do something so filthy in one of the king's private rooms.

Perhaps next time he'd try to convince Shishido to do something in the king's bedroom, maybe even on his bed. And as Shishido pulled him free of his breeches and leaned in close, Oshitari decided that no matter how wholeheartedly Atobe had given them permission to carry on their affair, he was never telling him about this moment. If Atobe and Tezuka could keep secrets about whatever mischief they were plotting, than Oshitari could keep secrets about his much more private mischief with Shishido.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Tezuka rode under the overhang of the stable, soaking wet and dripping. It had been storming most of the day and after attempting to wait it out in a run down pub, had finally decided to make the trek back regardless. He had duties to fulfill and they did not include acting as if a little rain would hurt him or his horse.

He dismounted, a task made slightly more difficult by how all of his layers clung to him in unyielding ways, and then led the horse into stables proper. He paused at the sight of Kabaji who was in the process of saddling up his own horse.

"Kabaji," Tezuka said with a nod. He then brushed his wet bangs out of his face to try and better see Atobe's captain of the guard. "What are you doing out in this weather?"

"Worried," Kabaji said. He then began removing his horse's saddle and Tezuka gave a nod of understanding.

"You or his majesty?" Tezuka asked.

Kabaji gave him a long look and Tezuka understood then that it was both. Though most likely Atobe had started the worrying. The king, despite being completely willing to use all the skills he professed to have still seemed to worry that he actually had those skills. It was somewhat endearing if also aggravating.

"I'll see him as soon as I've changed," Tezuka said.

He let the stablehand who had come up take the reins of his horse and gave his gelding a pat before turning to the young man. "Get him rubbed down and warming blankets on before he's fed. I'll come check on him as soon as I can." He'd been using this horse since his first days as Atobe's advisor and found they had a good rapport. The only downside to the beast was that once the excitement was over with he was rather quite lazy and gluttonous. Everything had to be taken care of before he was given food or you'd never get him out of the feedbag.

He carefully removed the saddlebag from the horse before handing over the reins for the stable hand once he was sure he understood his orders. Tezuka watched a moment as the sodden saddle was removed and then turned back to Kabaji. "Where is his majesty right now?" Tezuka carefully guarded his words since they didn't have privacy yet.

"His rooms. Waiting."

Tezuka nodded. He hadn't planned on being nearly as long as he was. Even before the weather turned everything seemed to be taking longer than it should have. But still, he considered it a successful outing and was sure the king would agree. "I'll head here now."

He reached the edge of the overhang of the stable roof and looked off into the distance of the door that lead into the undoubtedly warm and dry lodgings of the house. The lamp on beside the door was barely visible through the wall of rain as it continued to pour down. Taking one last look back into the stables to see how his gelding faired, Tezuka braced himself and then all but sprinted across the grounds to reach the house.

Tezuka stopped just inside the door as several maids bustled up to him and Kabaji holding out towels and trying to assist them as much as possible. Tezuka wasn't entirely sure if it was for their benefit or for the floors seeing as how Tezuka already had a sizeable puddle surrounding him but he appreciated it nevertheless.

Taking one of the towels he moved it up to roughly dry his hair and then accepted another towel to dry his glasses and face. At least now he could see properly again. Glasses and clandestine work were a risky pair though thankfully Tezuka could manage alright without his glasses if he had to. His training wouldn't have been complete if he couldn't.

Finally after deeming dry enough by the older servant near them, Tezuka, still with a towel around his shoulders, accepted back his bag and headed upstairs to the king's room.

"I can report to the king that you're still here if you'd like," Tezuka said as he walked down the hall with Kabaji beside him.

Kabaji gave a nod and instead of following him the last few doors to Atobe's he turned down a side hall that would inevitably lead him to his own room. Kabaji might not have been in the rain nearly as long as Tezuka but with how hard it was pouring any amount of time foolishly spent outdoors guaranteed you'd be miserable until you could change.

Still dripping and starting to feel chilled, Tezuka carried on to the king's room and was given a nod by the two guards posted outside the hall doors. Whether Atobe was or wasn't in attendance in his room, two guards were always posted to guarantee the security of the rooms.

This far out in the countryside, they had to be on the lookout for the usual mischief as well as the benign in the shape of people just being curious about their sovereign. Most common folk in these parts had never even been to the capital let alone seen royalty. And while curiosity was generally harmless it did not mean that they wanted servants and other guests of the household wandering around in the king's private chambers. And one never knew when innocent curiosity could lead to danger.

Tezuka gave a nod back as one of the guards opened the door to admit him to the anteroom. There weren't nearly as many rooms leading from the hall door to Atobe's actual chamber but there was enough so that the first room Tezuka walked into was filled with seven guards, four of which were involved in some dice game while the other three remained mostly vigilant while cleaning their swords and chatting.

Tezuka waved them off when they would have stood and the guards gave polite nods back to him. He could tell by the looks and smiles that they wanted to tease him about his drowned rat appearance but while they had a friendly enough rapport to spar together and to dismiss the usual pomp and bowing of the court in privacy he really could not condone being teased. At least not when the cold was starting to seep into his bones and he was feeling rather miserable.

He had accomplished nearly everything he had set out to do in the tasks set to him by Atobe so his suffering was not without good reason. But he would hardly be suitable company until he bathed and warmed up.

Leaving the guards to their own amusements, Tezuka walked through the half open door into the small receiving room that separated the guards from the bedroom. It was the room he used as his office during the day and which one or more of Atobe's attendants used to be near at hand when Atobe was in the bedroom and didn't need him.

Tezuka flicked a glance toward his desk which had a daunting amount of paperwork piled on it and then over at the king's attendant. With only one on duty, it meant that Atobe had most likely retired for the evening and wasn't expecting to leave his rooms again.

Tezuka still found the life and job of an attendant an odd one with most of them being from wealthy noble families but seemingly content at doing a range of jobs that ranged from glamourous to tasks normally assigned to low born servants. The current task was a leisurely if boring one. The young man had finally looked up from the book he was reading and did a double take when he fully took in Tezuka's appearance. But court training quickly took over and the man gave a neutral smile.

"Lord Tezuka, welcome back. The king will be pleased to see you," The attendant said sincerely enough.

Most of the attendants seem to have accepted that as Atobe's lover he was to be afforded some amount of respect and helpfulness but there was always the underlying tension that they did it for the king and not for him. Tezuka knew that if he were really the consort or a queen he would have his own attendants but since he really didn't wish to make his role anymore permanent or scandalous than it already was he refused to take on more than the secretary Atobe had gifted him with.

Still the man was free for the moment and he surely wouldn't mind an easy task. "Can you send for a bath?" Tezuka asked. He was tempted to take a quick look at his desk to see if anything urgent needed his attention but since he was still dripping and had even more urgent matters held in his bag he decided against that thought and stayed where he was.

"No need, Lord Tezuka. The king has already had a fresh bath drawn up as well food sent for."

"Thank you," Tezuka said and gave a nod before giving the final door that separated him from the king a polite knock. If Atobe had ordered not only a bath but food, someone must have seen him enter the yard and run to inform Atobe. He was rather impressed that anyone had been able to make out anything in this rain. Though he supposed nobody else would be foolish enough to be out in this weather but himself. It also meant that Atobe would already know that Tezuka had returned before Kabaji had headed out.

"Enter," Atobe called and so Tezuka did.

"Good lord. You look like a drowned rat," Atobe said as he strode to him in a billow of warm and dry fabric that Tezuka couldn't help but envy.

"It's raining," Tezuka pointed out. He really didn't need Atobe telling him things he already knew but if the king felt the need then Tezuka could play that game, too.

Atobed eyed him for a moment and then gave a hmph before reaching for his hands. "While I'm relieved you're back, seeing you in this state makes me wish you would have found a room for the night."

Tezuka allowed Atobe to lead him through the bedroom and to the attached bathroom. The fire was roaring and there was steam rising from the tub filled with water. To Tezuka, who had been on the move for two days and uncomfortable for most of that, he thought it was the best thing he could possibly be seeing right now. That Atobe was also in the room and gently unbuttoning his jacket was a lovely bonus.

"Let me do that before you get wet," Tezuka said taking over once Atobe had finished with the buttons. "And you should take this. Make sure that all the papers survived the rain." He had wrapped them all thoroughly but water had a way of making its way inside of containers, waxed wrappers and sealed waterproofed bags anyway.

"I won't melt if I get wet, Kunimitsu," Atobe said. But he did take the drenched bag and moved it to hang by the fire. "And let's try to get the outside a bit dryer before we attempt opening it. I don't want you to have gone to that much effort just to have me ruin it as I pull things out."

Tezuka nodded, not able to refute the logic to that. With how wet the bag itself was, it was certainly possible to do harm right at the end of this journey. Besides, if any water had snuck into the bag and onto the papers it would be far too late to salvage them anyway.

Shrugging out of his jacket, he let it fall to the ground in a soggy heap quickly followed by a soggy wool sweater that smelled like sheep and then a waistcoat. Unfortunately, when he went to attack the small buttons of his dress shirt, he found his fingers still too cold and shaking to manage.

"I can't believe I allow you to traipse about my kingdom when you can't even manage to undress properly," Atobe teased light heartedly as he brushed Tezuka's hands away and took over the work.

Tezuka gave a soft snort at the words but patiently waited for Atobe to undo the buttons. He knew the room was warm given the light beads of sweat starting to form on Atobe's forehead but it was doing little for the chill that had sunk into his bones.

"I'll feel better once you're in the water and warming up. I've had a hearty stew brought up for you to eat, too." Atobe tugged off the wet shirt that was clinging to Tezuka like a second skin.

Tezuka felt Atobe's fingers on his skin like a fire brand. Somehow, where the fire had failed to get through to him, one touch from Atobe heated him and made him shiver for an entirely different reason.

Atobe, seeming misunderstanding the cause, frowned and nudged Tezuka closer to the fire. If he moved any closer he ran the risk of stepping into it. But as he was finally feeling the heat sink into his backside he didn't object to the abuse.

"I wonder if it might not be easier to just cut your pants away. They're so wet they look like a second skin," Atobe said. He then moved his hand to the top button of Tezuka's pants and flicked it open. "And don't you dare say you can do this on your own," Atobe added.

Tezuka's mouth snapped shut and he gave into Atobe's demands. Honestly, he was too tired and cold to resist the king right now. And really, Atobe's hot hands on him was rarely something he wanted to object to these days. Though he did do so as to not encourage the king. He would be intolerable if he thought he could get away with touching when and where he wanted.

There was a sharp tug at his waist and Tezuka nearly fell into Atobe before he reached out to the fireplace mantle to steady himself. "Careful."

"These damned laces are as waterlogged as the rest of you and refusing to budge. Give me your knife," Atobe said and held out a hand.

Tezuka did have a knife on him as Atobe assumed but there was no way he was handing it over to the king to point at his crotch. He was sure neither of them wanted to risk injury to that area. "No," Tezuka said and batted Atobe's hands away.

He turned so his back was to Atobe and his front was to the fireplace. Perhaps if he was getting direct heat onto the laces and his hands they would cooperate enough to work.

"Spoilsport," Atobe said. Tezuka heard him moving around behind him but was too busy trying to get his pants open to worry about what he was doing.

When he finally got the laces free he dropped them onto the ground and then took a moment to take his glasses off and set them on the mantle of the fireplace. They were hardly doing him any good now that they were fogging up in the heat of the room. After his glasses were safe, he turned back to Atobe and immediately wished he had given a bit more care to what the king had been doing. "Why are you naked?" He asked. He knew the king wasn't body shy as he'd been stripping down for shared but not shared baths with Tezuka since near the start of his tenure as advisor. But he didn't see why Atobe needed to be naked now.

Atobe smiled at him and prowled toward him, reaching out for the now opened pants. "This way you won't have to worry about getting me wet. And I'm sure you haven't noticed, but it is rather hot in here. Besides, I know you're enjoying the view."

Apparently Atobe hadn't missed the long look Tezuka had given him. It was hardly his fault he had been trained to always take in details of people. The fact that Atobe had a lovely body and Tezuka had come to enjoy that he had permission to look upon it without fear of retaliation was just coincidental.

His scan of Atobe's body had shown him that while the king may be genuine in his desire to warm Tezuka up and help him avoid illness, he was also enjoying the chance to strip Tezuka. It was too bad that Tezuka was far too chilled and tired to react in the same way. And wasn't at all surprised when Atobe called him out for it as the pants were finally tugged down past his hips.

"I don't think you are giving us enough appreciation for our services, Kunimitsu," Atobe said. His warm hand rested flat against his hip before smoothing up over his stomach and chest to rest on his shoulder.

Tezuka looked at the hand and then over at Atobe. "I assure you. I'm fully appreciative," Tezuka said. "But you will have to give me a chance to warm up and rest before it's apparent. I'm afraid even I can suffer from the elements."

"That's unfortunate indeed. But I'm willing to wait until later for you to show me in full how much you appreciated my services," Atobe said and then pressed his lips to Tezuka's chest right over his heart.

It was nice to hear Atobe go back to his relaxed way of talking. Crisis averted and ego assuaged. "Of course. Now could you help with the rest?" Tezuka asked.

After some struggles that resulted in Atobe in the rather compromising position of being at his knees directly in front of him and making groaning noises, the pants finally inched down over his knees and could be kicked off. Even if his body was too run down to properly appreciate the view below him, Tezuka's mind was working hard to remember every detail. He hoped he wouldn't embarrass himself by having awkward dreams about it. But his mind had a tendency to not behave when he was this exhausted.

"Stop procrastinating and get in the tub," Atobe said and then caused Tezuka to startle by lightly smacking his ass with his open palm.

Tezuka gave him a sharp look but knew that if he was too out of it to see the slap coming than he was in no condition to retaliate… at least for now. He moved to the tub and tentatively stuck the toes of one foot in. It was hot. Almost to the point of being unpleasant on his chilled body. But Tezuka knew that once the initial sting of heat broke through the chill he would appreciate the temperature.

Ignoring his discomfort he stepped fully into the tub and sunk down into with a noise that was half groan and half moan. After a tense moment, he started to relax as the heat ate away at the chill and the water felt more comfortable.

His eyes drifted shut as his head rested back against the edge and he took long calming breaths. It should be wrong to feel so comfortable in water after spending half the day wishing desperately to be dry but this was exactly what he had needed.

Once he was feeling more himself, he opened his eyes and looked over at Atobe who was sitting naked in a chair he had pulled up to the side of the tub, his feet resting on the edge. It was similar to the pose Tezuka used to take while Atobe bathed to maintain the illusion of their relationship. Though of course, Tezuka actually had the decency to wear clothes.

"It was as you feared. Possibly worse," Tezuka said warm enough now to start his report.

"How could it possibly be worse?" Atobe asked. Tezuka knew researching Shishido's family while not telling his attendant was already hard on the king but in Tezuka's opinion things could always get worse. Especially when you let your guard down.

"Kite," Tezuka replied.

"The pirate?! How is he involved in this? Wait. Don't tell me." Atobe held up his hand to silence Tezuka as he settled back into his chair after his outburst. "They're the ones moving the jewels, right?"

Tezuka nodded. Knowing that Kite was involved in this scheme made him doubly glad that he had talked Atobe out of using him to help Hyoutei's trade problem with Rikkai. Treachery would have undoubtedly happened a lot sooner and closer to home than even Tezuka had feared.

"We did wonder how they were moving such quantities and who was purchasing it…involving the pirates makes sense in that way. And when you're dealing with pristine Hyoutei gemstones, I suppose affording the pirates is not an issue."

"Exactly," Tezuka said. And then he gave a soft groan as he forced tired muscles into moving as he stood from the tub. "You mentioned stew?" He mostly just wanted to burrow under the blankets of Atobe's bed and sleep but he knew his body would thank him more if he fed it first. And the act of eating would help him stay awake long enough to deliver all the key points Atobe needed to be aware of.

"Yes. It's staying warm by the fire. And here, put this on." Atobe held out a thick robe for Tezuka and then moved to slip back on his much thinner one. "Are you feeling warmer now?"

"Quite. Though it will be nice to be dry and warm." Securing the belt, Tezuka headed back out to the bedroom and sat down in the seat closest to the fire where a table and covered tray was waiting.

"I can imagine. While I appreciate having you back with me, you really should have found shelter at an inn for the night," Atobe said and reached over to take the cover from the tray so that Tezuka would get the hint to start eating.

"There's not exactly an abundance of free rooms right now," Tezuka pointed out. With Atobe and a good portion of the court making their way to Shishido's estate for the wedding, inns and household were overflowing with various nobles, staff, and soldiers. Besides, Tezuka would rather spend a few more hours in discomfort and spend the night here with Atobe than bedding down in dubious conditions with who knew how many others in the room. He could handle all sorts of rough conditions if he had to, but it didn't mean he enjoyed doing so.

"I suppose pulling rank to acquire a room would have been counterproductive to keeping a low profile."

"Very much so," Tezuka said and then picked up his spoon to take his first bite of the stew. It was rich and still hot and just what he needed.

"I suppose there's no harm done. Assuming you don't catch a cold. It would not do at all for the king to show up with his date all stuffed up and sneezing into his handkerchief every few minutes," Atobe said making himself comfortable in the chair across from Tezuka that was a little further from the fire.

"True. That wouldn't do at all." Tezuka took a few more bites of stew before looking up at Atobe again. "Shall I continue?" He asked.

Atobe considered a moment, no doubt judging if he felt Tezuka had eaten enough before nodding. "Yes. Best to hear it all now. Just how many people do you think we'll be arresting?"

"Possibly not as many as you feared. Obviously Baron Shishido and his eldest son, the pirates if you can manage to catch any of them, and several higher ranked men who work in the mines as well as the local magistrate I'm afraid. It seems most people involved didn't realize that the jewels were being sold illegally or had been threatened to keep quiet. There are certainly more than a few rough characters employed by the Baron to keep his jewel trade confidential."

"Well he should have employed better ones. Once the anomaly was detected it didn't take long to weasel out all we needed," Atobe said with disdain.

"No. It really didn't. I have several signed witness testimonies as well as several pages of correspondence between the magistrate and the pirates as well as with the baron."

"How did you come by that?" Atobe asked.

Atobe had asked him to gather as much incriminating evidence as he could to make a solid case against the Shishidos though he hadn't been specific about what. It was more like than anything else that he had come across the pages. "I was in the magistrate's office going over ledgers and found in a hidden drawer the letters. A wiser man would have burned them. Though perhaps he hoped to use them as blackmail one day? Either way, I liberated a few of the older ones that shouldn't be missed anytime soon," Tezuka said.

He ghosted over the details about hours of waiting for a gap in guards the magistrate hired, or working by miniscule candle light while tucked under the desk or even having to leave by window and climb down from the third floor when it seemed as if someone was approaching to inspect the room. Some details the king did not need.

"What a fool. I can't believe he managed a position of power even if it's for a small town in what most would consider a backwater part of the country," Atobe said. He considered the satchel still dripping slightly by the fireplace before looking back at Tezuka. "Are any of the dock workers or managers involved? They would certainly notice shipments not being properly logged."

Tezuka shook his head. "It's where I started the investigation. But after several discrete conversations with the dock hands over horrible ale, I was introduced to one of their cousins who works in the mines and had an interesting tale. And that led to talking to the husband of another cousin who is often hired on to help haul this and that when not working for the baker. It's always intriguing to find out how these small towns work," Tezuka said. He then took another couple spoonfuls of his stew surprised to see he had nearly eaten all of it. He must have been hungrier than he realized. And perhaps more tired if he was regaling Atobe with the minutiae of town life.

"Fascinating, I'm sure," Atobe said. He didn't seem to find the town people nearly as intriguing but the smirk flicking up at the corner of his mouth told Tezuka that the king was certainly amused. "So how are they shipping them? By land seems perilous, especially when you have pirates hired on."

"There's a natural cove area not far from the mines and town that makes for a private and mostly convenient transaction point. The ship can set anchor in the cove, hidden from easy view and safe from rough waters. They row out in the small boats to the sandy shore, haul on the goods and can set sail swiftly. The trek down to the beach is more perilous than I imagine many would be willing to take while hauling heavy crates but I suppose enough money or threats is always a good motivator."

Atobe nodded. "I assume a detailed map and description is in your papers?"

Tezuka gave his own nod.

"Good. Then unless there's anything else I need to know now, I suggest you get to bed. As amusing as you are, rest is more important than my entertainment."

"Amusing?" Tezuka asked as he crossed his arms.

"You're being quite verbose." Atobe held up a hand to stall any objections. "Yes, I know you're more talkative around me. But trust me, your tongue is looser than usual. I hope it's not a sign a fever is setting in."

Tezuka wanted to object that sharing a few more extra details than needed did not make him verbose or put him at risk of fever induced storytelling but arguing with Atobe was near pointless when he had his mind made up. Even more so when Tezuka really did think that bed sounded like a good idea.

"Feel free to look over the papers in the bag," Tezuka said. He stood and reached for the cover to put it back on the tray before picking up his glasses. If he didn't put them on the table beside the bed, his morning routine wouldn't feel complete. "And don't let me sleep in. The paperwork on my desk needs to be handled before it topples over."

Atobe let out a sigh but nodded. "If you insist. Though I expect you to at least take it easy tomorrow. No training with Kabaji or running around the place. If you need something, send your secretary or one of the servants or guards to fetch it."

Tezuka made a vague noise of agreement at that before he moved to his side of the bed. He set down his glasses and slid into the soft warmth of it and tried to ignore the fact that it wasn't odd at all to him that he and Atobe had sides of the bed.

"Good night, Kunimitsu," Atobe called from his chair where Tezuka could feel him watching intently.

"Good night, Keigo." The words came easily, already part of a routine that took no thought or extra energy.

Fortunately, he was asleep mere seconds after his head had hit the pillow and so couldn't be tormented by his brain wondering when exactly being with Atobe in his room was more comfortable than being anywhere else without the annoying king.


	15. What Lies Beneath - Chapter Three

Oshitari felt his anger growing as he listened to the young man from the nearby village talk. His curiosity had finally won out over his deference to respect his king's desire to leave him out of whatever it was he and Tezuka were up to. He now really wished he had forced the issue when they were still back in the capital.

He managed to thank the man for his time and pay him a bit of coin for the useful information before dismissing him. Mounting his horse, he decided against further looking into matters in the town and to return directly to the estate that the king and his court were residing at. He had things to discuss with Atobe that wouldn't wait.

He made record time and tossed the reins of his horse at the first stable boy to run out to greet him. It was unlike him to not share a few words with the stable hands or give his horse a final pat and treat but he had other things on his mind.

He strode swiftly through the house and then stopped to consider where Atobe would be now. Fortunately, he spotted one of the attendants and waved him down. "Lord Jirou. Do you know where his majesty is at?" Oshitari asked, doing his best to keep his tone neutral. He might be angry and in a hurry but some part of him remembered to not brush aside all manners and to keep up some semblance of appearances.

"W-what?" Jirou asked with a large yawn.

Oshitari tried not to be annoyed. He generally found the sleepy attendant endearing. Even more so when it caused either the king or Shishido to rant to him about whatever chaos Jirou had caused by his tendency to sleep everywhere and at all times. Shishido…

"The King. I need to see him," Oshitari said. His voice a little more stern to press upon the young man that he was seeking the king out for more than tea.

"Oh, right… He dismissed us until dinner. He said he was going to be in meetings with Lord Tezuka for rest of the afternoon."

Oshitari smiled. He couldn't have asked for a better place to find Atobe. And he wouldn't even have to worry about losing his temper. If he felt aggressively unlike himself and ended up punching the king, at least he could rely on Tezuka to subdue him before any real harm was done. He wouldn't have to worry about embarrassing them all in front of the court either during or after his actions this way. "Thank you, Lord Jirou. I hope you have a pleasant afternoon."

"You, too, Lord Oshitari" Jirou gave a small bow and then a large yawn.

As Oshitari headed past Jirou and toward the stairs, some small part of him that wasn't fueled by anger and betrayal noted that Jirou would most likely be late for dinner unless someone knew where to find him to wake him for it. But that, thankfully, was not one of his duties and by the time he reached the top of the stairs, thoughts of Jirou were gone completely.

Oshitari slipped inside of the first room of the King's quarters that would lead to where Tezuka was doing business and greeted the guards who nodded to him in an informal bow. "I have business with the king," He said and they easily waved him through.

The next room was smaller and held only Tezuka's secretary and a courier waiting for the latest round of letters to be ferried across the kingdom. The secretary startled at Oshitari's appeareance but he was already across the room and to the other door before the man could even start an objection.

As he entered the room he looked over at Atobe and Tezuka and saw that work was the last thing those two were doing. Atobe must be a particularly skilled kisser for Tezuka to not have noticed or cared that the door had just been opened.

"Your Majesty, we need to talk," Oshitari said to get their attention as he closed the door. The title was for anyone in easy hearing range since he wasn't feeling overly respectful.

In any other situation, he would probably be amused and pleased at what he walked in on. But seeing Atobe straddling Tezuka's lap and Tezuka's hands working Atobe free of his fancy neck scarf did nothing but increase his frustrations. How could they have time to indulge when they were about to ruin lives?

"Oshitari, as you can see, we're a little busy right now. I don't suppose you could come back later?" Atobe asked. He did however slide off of Tezuka's lap but not before a flick of Tezuka's fingers caused the scarf to come loose. As Atobe moved away, his scarf slid from around his neck to stay in Tezuka's hands.

It was clear that they both planned to return to each other once he was gone. Unfortunately he was going to ruin those plans. "It can't wait. We need to talk. Now." He gave Atobe a hard look.

"I really don't see what can't wait an hour before it comes to our…" Atobe stopped and his eyes ran over Oshitari. He must have noticed something was off because his posture changed from relaxed to serious.

"Tell me what's wrong," Atobe said. He then held out his hand toward Tezuka who placed the recently removed neck scarf into it. Apparently some signal had been given that their private time was well and truly over because Tezuka then moved to tidy his own buttons. First at his throat and then, Oshitari couldn't help but notice, they slid out of view to below the desk. Though Oshitari couldn't see it, he could hear the tell tale sign of laces being tightened and trousers being fastened again.

While Oshitari had let himself be momentarily distracted by Tezuka, Atobe had replaced his scarf and looked as pristine as if his attendants had just dressed him. He had also moved to stand closer to Oshitari.

"Sit. Tell me what has you so angry," Atobe said and gestured to the comfortable looking seats before Tezuka's desk.

"No," Oshitari said. His anger might have been momentarily diverted at the interesting scene before him but it had not disappeared completely and now that Atobe was acting so kind and patient with him it somehow brought his anger right back to the forefront.

"No? Is there somewhere we need to be?" Atobe asked.

Oshitari let out an angry sound before he grabbed the scarf that had just been retied and tugged at it to pull Atobe closer to him. "Why? Curse you Keigo, why?"

He was supposed to be the man of logic and reasoning but now that he was with the king and Atobe was in his hold he couldn't focus on anything but his fears and anger.

"Yuushi, you need to calm yourself," Atobe said. His hands stayed relaxed at his side but Oshitari supposed it wasn't necessary to protect yourself when your assassin lover was in the room.

Oshitari hadn't seen him move but somehow Tezuka had gone from sitting at his desk to standing behind him, a hand now resting on his shoulder. He supposed it was a sign of Tezuka's overall trust in him that it was a hand on his shoulder and not a dagger against his back. But a hand was no less lethal really and no matter how satisfying punching Atobe might be, it wouldn't lead to get him getting answers or helping the situation in the end.

He let go of Atobe with only a slight push and then moved to slump down in the chair Atobe had originally gestured to.

Tezuka and Atobe must have been having some sort of conversation above him because he saw Atobe's head shake before he sat across from him. "Care to tell us what that was about?" Atobe asked as Tezuka crossed the room to stand to the side of Atobe's chair. Oshitari absently noted how mussed Tezuka's hair was right then and that he hadn't quite managed to get his shirt fully tucked back in.

"I finally gave into my curiosity," Oshitari said as explanation.

"I see… I did warn you not to look into it."

"Yet you don't seem surprised that I did," Oshitari countered. Tezuka and Atobe may not have been careless to the eyes of the court and public, but to Oshitari, it seemed as if they were just begging him to look into what they were doing. He had only refrained for so long first out of respect of Atobe's request and later because Shishido had kept him suitably distracted.

"I know you too well to be surprised that you looked into something. You seem to enjoy knowing everything."

"I don't enjoy knowing this," Oshitari said. He then flicked his eyes up to Tezuka. "I'm not going to strangle him again. You can sit."

Tezuka looked down at Atobe who nodded that he believed Oshitari's words. Instead of returning to sit behind his desk, Tezuka disappeared into the king's bedroom. The door was left open between the two rooms and while he couldn't see Tezuka, he was sure that he could make a swift return if Oshitari decided to resume strangling Atobe.

"He's gone to get some papers," Atobe explained.

"It will take more than some papers to convince me that you don't deserve to be strangled."

Atobe shrugged and crossed his legs as he relaxed further into the chair. "I knew going into this that it wasn't going to make me any friends, Yuushi. But I can't ignore the abuse of power and position that's been going on just because it will make me unpopular."

"Unpopular?" Oshitari asked in disbelief. "You're betraying your favourite attendant's trust in you. You're going to ruin his life. His name! Even if you wanted to, you couldn't keep on someone with such a ruined reputation as an attendant."

"And if a king couldn't keep him, then neither could a future duke," Atobe added on.

Oshitari glared at him. "I would keep him. I'm already seen as an eccentric at court. And if they wouldn't accept that he was mine then I'd retire to the countryside." His family had several estates, he was sure he could find one that made both him and Shishido happy.

"You'd get bored. And so would Shishido. Especially if he was just a pampered kept man with no employment of his own to occupy him," Atobe said.

Oshitari couldn't deny either of those things and it frustrated him that the world of happiness they had built up together would be so quickly ruined. Neither were built for a life of rural retreat. Though it had to be better than whatever alternative Atobe's plan would leave him with.

"Keigo, you would be just as bored without them in the capital with you," Tezuka said as he came back into the room. He was holding a couple files in one hand and a carved box in the other. He sat down in a chair near Atobe and placed the files and box on his desk that was within easy reach.

"Unfortunately, we can't always get what we want. Especially when noble families decide to take advantage of our trust. We knew that the senior Shishido and his son were not managing the estate and local area as efficiently as they should have been. And the gambling problem was not nearly as secret as they would have liked to keep it."

Oshitari nodded at that. Shishido had often complained to him about the way his family ran things and how he hoped getting married would help calm his brother and relieve him of some of his vices. Oshitari thought it was optimistic but when it came to family and friends that's just the way Shishido was.

Finding out about his family's treachery would be a blow to him.

"I was willing to overlook it for now and was even going to send some skilled people along to help train the Shishidos and the others in authority to make sure that everything was run more efficiently. But then the accountings came and things were not adding up in any sense of the word. Next came the stories and then some indiscreet spending that couldn't be ignored." Atobe held out his hand and Tezuka picked up one of the folders and extracted a few pages from it before handing it to Atobe.

Atobe glanced down at the papers and then passed it to Oshitari. "These were some of the early reports we received from the Baron's own secretary and a low ranking officer in the constabulary in the area."

Oshitari took them and skimmed through them quickly. It wasn't outright damning. Both trying to be courteous and respectful of their superiors while obviously wanting to share their worries with the king. It was brave of them but he wished it hadn't happened.

He wasn't sure he would have been able to do anything to help the situation but if he had known about it, he would have tried to intervene before the crown had to. He had money and connections. He could help them find a better way to make an income than by stealing jewels from the crown mines and selling them illegally. And pirates? Those only worked out well for maidens in popular romance novels he saw ladies at court reading from time to time.

But what was done was done. The Shishidos had made a mess of things and now the crown was solely focused on them. There would be no coming back from this now. He passed the papers back to Tezuka who slipped them back in the folder without a word.

"Is this why you wanted me on the full journey? To distract Ryou from this or was this meant to be some perverse gift to us. To let me spend more time with Ryou before you ripped him away from me?"

"It was not meant to be like that. I had still hoped that this treason did not go as far as it does," Atobe said, a pinched look between his eyes. "My kingdom and my people must come before all else."

"You're betraying your loyal servant. Your friends," Oshitari said. He knew sometimes one had to be sacrificed for the greater good of the many. But that one shouldn't have to be Shishido.

"He's not," Tezuka said. Cutting in before Atobe could say whatever he wanted to. "He's saving him before he's also dragged down into this. I assure you, with people like his family, it would not be long before they convinced him, or blackmailed him into helping them. Either through his position as the king's attendant or through his lover who is also one of the most powerful noblemen in the kingdom. He is perfectly situated to do great harm in the kingdom."

Oshitari's anger roared up again at that. Perfectly situated and with a rotten family did not mean that Shishido would ever take advantage of him or Atobe. "Surely you don't' suspect him of being tied up in this? Or even thinking of doing something against the kingdom?"

"Of course we don't. And Tezuka made sure that my sentimentality was not misplaced and thoroughly vetted him."

"And me?" Oshitari asked. It would be odd to check out the younger son and not the son's lover.

"One or two business dealings. I was discreet," Tezuka said.

Oshitari nodded. He could live with that. With the close ties he had to the king, he could accept that on occasion his word would not be enough. And he had nothing to fear from what others would find if they looked at his business dealings or how he socialized. And if it was Tezuka, he had even less to fear. Because if he came across the threads of the net Oshitari had cast out to always be well informed of various things in the kingdom and abroad, he knew Tezuka would not disturb them. Or call them into the light. Oshitari could excel at what he did because nobody suspected him of being anything more than Atobe's spoiled noble friend who enjoyed gossiping.

"If you cleared him, you must have a plan to save him when his family falls," Oshitari said. It would be easiest to strip the whole family of the title, re-allocate the Barony to some other family or put it into the king's trust for a time. But Oshitari had never known Atobe to be cruel to innocents if it could be avoided and the king always tried to take care of his friends. Yes, the Baron had put the king in an awkward position but that was not Ryou's fault.

Oshitari sat tensely in his chair as he watched Atobe and Tezuka share a look and he waited for the answer.

"Yes. Though his life will never be the same," Atobe finally said after what felt like hours.

"What do you mean? You're not exiling him are you?"

"No. Well… not unless you count living out here as exile. And I assure you, many in the capital would," Atobe said.

"No," Oshitari said absently echoing the king. His mind was whirling through the implications of Atobe's words. The father and elder son were caught acting against the crown. The younger son who served the crown loyally is rewarded with the title and the barony. A currently failing and impoverished area of land that will require his full attention. And since this blasted idiocy of stealing from the crown had probably spread through several high ranking people of authority, Shishido will be kept busy trying to learn and handle too many jobs at once while hunting for people to fill vacancies.

Shishido would be elevated, not ruined, in the eyes of most. Though being stuck on the fringe of the kingdom trying to rebuild his family's legacy would still come at a high cost. Oshitari might fancy dreams of retiring to the countryside with Shishido at his side but retiring to the Shishido estate… that would certainly cause a scandal and objections from his family and possibly the king himself seeing how disconnected the Shishido estate was.

"We will make sure he has everything he needs to succeed. I'm not setting him up to fail here, Yuushi," Atobe said with a hard tone to his voice.

Oshitari knew that Atobe, the king, was trying to make the best of a bad situation. He couldn't ignore treachery. He had to follow the rules of succession which put Shishido next. He couldn't in good conscious bring back a Baron with a troubled barony to the capital as one of his attendants. But he could make sure that Shishido wasn't destitute. Give him the knowledge and people he needed to be successful. Ensure this side of the kingdom had a loyal and strong base of support for the king.

It made sense. But Oshitari didn't want logic. He wanted love.

"It's not enough," Oshitari said. His voice was noticeably strained despite his effort to sound normal.

"And it never will be. Not for this." Atobe met his gaze and while he could see that this decision troubled him, he could also tell that Atobe would not change course now.

"Does he know?"

"We haven't told him. Though as I doubt the Baron plans on throwing a small wedding, Ryou may start wondering where the money to pay for all of the celebrations has come from. And if he learns the extent of the debts his brother can accrue in one night of gambling he'll question it all the faster," Atobe said. He then held out a hand toward Tezuka who placed a few more papers in it.

Oshitari leaned forward to accept the papers from Atobe and wasn't surprised to see that they were notes about some of the recent events attended by the elder brother and the gambling he had gotten up to there. The amounts he bet and lost were staggering, even by Oshitari's standards. He did win on occasion but not nearly often to explain the level of confidence needed to make some of these wagers.

Though Oshitari supposed that if you had a secure source of money through the mines you weren't as concerned with logical bets and skill levels.

"This is ridiculous. Why did nobody stop him. The Baron can't be this blind."

"No. Though he seems to be that drunk," Atobe said. He didn't even gesture this time before Tezuka plucked out another paper and handed it directly to Oshitari. It was the estate's pantry orders for a month. And the alcohol being shipped into the household was certainly the most expensive and numerous item on the list.

Shishido had spoken that his father was more distant and distracted in recent years and had less of an interest in the day to day running of the household and barony but he never mentioned that his father wasted his days drinking. Perhaps his lover didn't know and would be shocked by more than one thing during his visit home.

"It seems the best thing his family had ever done for Ryou was to send him to the king as an attendant not long after the lady of the house passed away," Tezuka said.

Oshitari couldn't help but nod his head in agreement. At least Shishido's family had had sense at some point. And it was long enough ago that Oshitari was willing to believe it was actually out of kindness and not some future plan to abuse Shishido's connections in the capital.

"When will you tell him?" Oshitari asked. He gave the papers back to Tezuka and wondered if he'd be allowed to look at all the evidence the two had collected. He preferred being prepared for all things and that meant collecting all the information he could.

Tezuka slid the papers neatly back into the folders and then set them on the desk. "It'd be better if he didn't know beforehand," Tezuka finally said when it was clear that Atobe was not rushing to answer.

"Why? That seems unnecessarily cruel."

"I know. But we have our reasons. The first is that while I trust Shishido, I also know how loyal he is and that loyalty might make him think he is obligated to help his family. I can't allow that. Or allow him to think he betrayed them by not helping them," Atobe said.

Oshitari could understand that, Shishido's fierce loyalty to his friends and family was one of the many things he adored about the passionate man. And with that thought Oshitari's brain was already figuring out some of the other reasons why Atobe would not want Shishido to know beforehand.

"You need his reactions to be real. For people to believe that he's hearing these things for the first time…" Oshitari looked between the two men and frowned. "You plan on making a spectacle of this?" He shouldn't be as shocked or angry as he felt. Atobe loved making everything into a production. And when in the outer reaches of the kingdom, making a lasting impression of the king's reach and power was a wise decision. But this was supposed to be a wedding and a happy memory.

"We need witnesses to the arrest and of Ryou's innocence. It has to be done publicly. It's nice of the baron to provide us the perfect opportunity for it," Atobe said.

Oshitari gripped the arms of his chair to stop himself from punching the smirk off of Atobe's face. "You don't arrest people at a wedding, Keigo!"

"Of course not. We're arresting them at the banquet following the wedding."

Oshitari was about to pick up the cushion behind him on the chair to smother Atobe with when he froze. "And what of the young bride?" It would be scandalous to have your groom to be arrested on the altar but one that could eventually be overlooked. But to arrest her husband was a whole other story. She would be tied to his title and his fate.

"She is not as innocent as she wants the world to believe," Tezuka said. He glanced over at Atobe and Atobe shook his head no. Apparently the king didn't think Oshitari needed to know what made the young lady such a bad girl. He was sure he could find out later if he still cared to. But Ryou came first in this mess his family would be facing.

"We are allowing everyone a final happy memory. You should take advantage of it," Atobe said. And Oshitari understood the meaning.

He was not to tell Shishido ahead of time nor was he to make any of the guests suspicious. He would also make sure that he was at Shishido's side when Atobe decided to act. He may not be able to stay with him for as long as he would like but Oshitari would make sure that Shishido had his support until he was settled into his new role.

"I understand," Oshitari said.

"Are you sure? I can make it an official order if I must," Atobe said.

"No. I know what's expected of me."

"And you understand why it must be done?"

"Yes. Though I wish it didn't have to be this way."

"We all wish that, Yuushi. But time has a way of sorting things out. Perhaps you can use that brilliance of yours and find a way to help time along," Atobe said.

Oshitari nodded. He was sure what he had learned today and the future was all he would be thinking about for quite some time. He needed more information before he could really start planning but he suspected he would be allowed only limited access until after the arrests.

"Now. Is there anything else?" Atobe asked.

A part of Oshitari wanted to make another plea for them to find another way but he knew it would would be a fruitless endeavour. If they had not come up with a better solution already, they wouldn't think of one in the few minutes they'd been talking.

Besides, Oshitari had been raised to be a duke and knew all about the hard decisions and responsibilities that came along with a title and power. He might not like it, but he could respect what Atobe was doing. It was hard to put what was right and your kingdom before a friendship.

"No. That's all," Oshitari said. But as he made to stand, he noticed the box that Tezuka had also brought out along with the folders. "Unless…"

"Unless?" Atobe said and then smiled slightly when he saw where Oshitari was looking. "Go ahead and show him, Kunimitsu," Atobe said.

Tezuka picked up the box and gently opened it to reveal a beautiful though uncut diamond.

"Wow," Oshitari said. "Was it recovered during the investigation?"

"Yes. It matches the quality and type of diamonds in the mine under the Shishidos authority. It was recovered some time ago in a blackmarket raid but only recently had we connected these pieces back to the Shishidos and their use of pirates," Tezuka explained. He then closed the box and set it aside.

As evidence, it was rather damning. But as a jewel, it was priceless. "What will you do with it once the investigation is closed?" Oshitari couldn't help but ask. Would it be made into just one piece or broken down into smaller gems?

Atobe just gave him a lazy smirk. "I'm sure I'll find something fitting to do with it."

If Tezuka suddenly showed up to court outfitted in a ridiculous diamond or a whole new set of diamond jewels, Oshitari would have to try hard not to laugh. But it was something he could picture Atobe doing. Why turn them into crown jewels when he could use them to torment and claim his assassin all at once.

"I look forward to seeing what becomes of it," Oshitari said. He then moved to Atobe's side and laid his hand on his arm. "I apologize for earlier."

Atobe looked up at him and rested his hand on top of Oshitari's. "And I apologize for the subterfuge. Even if it was necessary."

That was fair enough. Considering how he acted when he found out and how he still felt about it, it was probably a wise decision to not enlist his help in this.

"I will see you at dinner," Oshitari said. He walked to the door and gave Atobe a bow before retreating. He had a lot to think about before dinner and while a part of him wished that Shishido was there to distract him from his thoughts, he was mostly happy that Shishido had already headed to his family's home to help with the wedding. He wasn't sure he could face Shishido just now and keep his promise to his best friend and king about not telling his lover just what the future held in store for him.

Ignoring the looks he was getting from the courier and secretary, Oshitari took a deep breath, straightened his jacket and then strode from the room as if he hadn't just found out his world was going to be destroyed soon.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"They do seem quite in love," Tezuka said quietly to Atobe as they watched the couple thank their guests on their way to the head table.

In a show of respect for the newly wed couple and their special day, Atobe had agreed to be moved to the end of the head table so that the couple and their family could fully enjoy the day without the king's presence fully taking over.

He had said it would be rude to try and take away the attention from such a beautiful young lady and said young lady had blushed and gave a most elegant bow at the compliment. Everyone else listening was equally amused and delighted by the exchange.

But while it was true that in normal circumstances, Atobe would be willing to give up the center of attention for a happy couple, in this case, Tezuka knew it was also because when the arrests were made, he wanted them neatly boxed in at the head table and also front and center for the show that would be put on.

It was all very unfortunate but Tezuka couldn't really find any true sympathy for the couple or the baron. They had brought this on themselves and those that broke the law and were foolish enough to get caught did not get to choose when their downfall would happen.

But that didn't mean Tezuka couldn't also appreciate the beauty of the wedding, the banquet or that the couple truly did seem to like each other. Tezuka was skilled at separating his assassin side from his nobleman side when needed.

"I agree," Atobe said in a whisper, leaning in close to his ear. "I can make it so that they can stay together."

Tezuka nodded at that. He wasn't sure of Atobe's motivation for showing such a kindness when he was being ruthless in nearly everything else today but Tezuka thought it was a good idea. It was wise to show some mercy when destroying lives on a wedding day. Not only would those witnessing the event think of it favourably but it could help deter some of the bitterness and resentment that could grow from being arrested.

"They have certainly gone above and beyond to impress," Atobe said leaning back into his seat, a cue the private conversation was over for now.

"They are entertaining the king and it's the eldest son's wedding. Of course they would hold a lavish party," Tezuka said. He thought it was all a bit too excessive. Even ignoring that the Shishidos could not legally afford so much there came a point when less was more. Even Atobe, with his love of over the top drama and fashion showed restraint at some point.

"We suspect the surrounding villages must be empty as everyone is here either as guests or servants for the party," Atobe said glancing around at the overly filled room and the servants lining the edges waiting for their signal to begin serving the dinner.

"I feel your suspicions would prove correct on that," Tezuka said. But it would work all the better for what they had planned for the night's entertainment.

Before they could talk of anything more, the bride and groom along with their procession of close friends and family reached the head table. Instead of going to their seats, they headed to the side where Atobe was sat and bowed low to the king.

Atobe stood and as he was the king, everyone else pushed to their feet in a wave of movement as people noticed that the king was now on his feet. Atobe waited a moment for everyone to rise and then plucked up his glass of champagne. "Thank you. But tonight is not about us. Tonight is for celebrating the love between you two and the future of Shishido family," Atobe said. "A toast to the happy couple."

Tezuka raised his own glass and followed Atobe as he lead them in a toast. Once the cheers had settled, Atobe gestured for everyone to take their seats and resumed his own.

Tezuka watched as Shishido sat down to the left of his father, his elder brother was in the place of honour tonight to his father's other side. It was odd not to see Oshitari at Shishido's other side. Instead it seemed to be a family friend of some sort.

Looking out over rest of the crowd, Tezuka spotted Oshitari now seated at a table near the front. He had sat with Shishido during the ceremony and had even walked in with him to the banquet but he supposed sitting Oshitari at the head table, future duke or not, was pushing things a step too far.

As the wall of servants behind them moved as one to place down the first course of the meal, Tezuka's eyes slid back to the baron as he wondered just how much the man knew of Shishido and Oshitari's real relationship. Did he approve? Did he see it as an opportunity? And most importantly, how would he react when he found out that it wasn't the golden elder son who would inherit his title but the younger, court polished son who was dating a future duker and not a duchess.

Tezuka knew that Atobe wished to limit the pain caused to his attendant this night so Tezuka hoped that nobody would throw insults or accusations at the younger Shishido. Tezuka wasn't concerned about physical harm. Oshitari knew the signal of when to approach Shishido and to remove him from the area if things came to that. And Tezuka had no doubt in his own skills to keep innocents safe.

He would have liked Kabaji here as well as his skills and leadership were not to be underestimated. But he was out leading the arrests of those in the mines and village that weren't attending tonight. And if at all possible, he were to apprehend the pirates.

"Is the food not to your tastes?" Atobe asked.

"No. It's fine. I was just taking in the atmosphere, your majesty," Tezuka said and began eating. He then focused in on the conversation that Atobe was involved in. He didn't know quite how Atobe tolerated such dull conversations that never seemed to end. At least in the past when Tezuka was forced to endure such things, he was usually able to eliminate that person later. But even if they were making arrests tonight, he doubted Atobe would let him kill a few courtiers because they were boring and couldn't take a hint on when to let go of a topic or to retire completely from a conversation.

It really was the little things he missed about being an assassin.

His lips twitched at his morbid sense of humour and he caught Atobe looking at him with a raised brow.

Tezuka shook his head to indicate it was nothing and picked up his water glass to take a sip.

The rest of the dinner went as expected; There was small talk between bites of exquisite food and listening to numerous speeches and toasts. Fortunately, as more food and alcohol was imbibed the small talk became more amusing if no less banal. Tezuka took in everything while looking relaxed and leisurely. He needed to be aware of anything that might interfere with Atobe's plans for the night and make any necessary adjustments.

Finally, the dishes started to be cleared and more musicians began settling in next to the piano and harp players that had provided background music throughout the dinner. The dancing would start soon and then things would really get interesting.

"Ready for your moment?" Tezuka asked. There was no need to lower his voice. As the king, he would lead the bride through the opening of the first dance before the groom would politely cut in and carry on with rest of the dance. Of course, the dance wasn't going to happen. Instead, Atobe would use the platform to make a spectacle out of the Shishidos and their ridiculous plan to betray the king's trust and to keep their household afloat.

"Of course. We're always ready to be in the spotlight, Tezuka," Atobe said and flicked a hand through his hair. "Now are you ready to be awed by my prowess?" The heated look Atobe sent him was in no way appropriate for the time nor the place but Tezuka managed to hold back his frown and instead reluctantly played his part as would be expected from those listening in.

"I'm not sure one can ever truly be prepared for your prowess, your majesty. But I will certainly do my best to keep up."

Atobe grinned and raised his champagne glass up in a small salute to Tezuka's words before sipping at it. "Very good. Then get out the box we wish to present to them and make sure everything is ready."

"Of course," Tezuka said. He stood and gave Atobe a small bow before quietly and discreetly moving away from the head table to do as Atobe requested. He picked up the ornate box that Atobe wanted from a guard stationed near a side door and used the moment to quietly pass on his command to prepare. Kabaji's most trusted guards had been briefed on what was going to happen tonight and they would ensure that those in their command followed orders and made any necessary arrests. There would be no chaotic rush of confused party-goers running for doors or causing a commotion in which people might get hurt or allow the criminals escape. Everything would be expertly contained and the focus fully on the king and his words.

Tezuka made his way back towards Atobe but stopped by Oshitari's table on the way. He gave the nobleman a friendly nod but didn't stop to talk. It was all the signal Oshitari had needed though, after Tezuka had passed, Oshitari had stood and also made his way to the head table. But instead of going to Atobe like Tezuka did, he quietly moved behind Shishido before kneeling down beside him and drawing him into a conversation.

Ideally, Oshitari would draw Shishido back to his table for when Atobe made his move. But Tezuka watched as Shishido started to stand from his chair but stopped as his father clearly commanded him to stay. Oshitari gave a chuckle and seemed to smooth over the moment and while Shishido wasn't safely from the head table, at least Oshitari was still beside him. It would have to do.

With a final sweeping glance over the hall, Tezuka noted everything was in place and gave Atobe a nod. "I believe it's your turn, your majesty," Tezuka said.

"It will be our pleasure," Atobe said. He stood. The music quickly cut off and the conversations around the room slowly petered off until silence greeted Atobe. He motioned for everyone to stay seated and after making sure they would, Atobe slid out from behind the head table and to the open space in front of it.

Moving to an open area did bring with it various problems in safety. But in this case, Tezuka felt better having space around Atobe instead of having him so enclosed behind a table with the people he was accusing of treason. Besides, he would be next to Atobe in mere moments and easily able to defend him from any idiotic reactions the Baron or his son might have.

"I know it is now time for the traditional first dances of the bride and groom. Though I would beg the groom's forgiveness so I could dance with his beautiful wife first," Atobe paused for the polite laughter that came as if on cue. "But before I ask for your hand in a dance, dear lady, I would first beg for a little of your time." Atobe waited for those at the head table to give him a small bow of permission - as if they would do anything else - before turning to face the crowd.

"First, I would like to thank our host for the night," Atobe started. He then turned back to the head table to clap, rest of the room quickly following suit with a round of applause. "And I have brought you a token of my gratitude for being invited to such a lovely ceremony and dinner. Tezuka?" Atobe held out his hand for him.

Tezuka approached him and gave a perfectly executed bow before presenting the intricately carved box to him. He then took several steps back to better keep an eye on the room. From this point on, it was important to stay sharp and keep things under control.

Atobe looked around at the guests before taking a couple of steps toward the head table and opening the box for the Shishidos to see.

Tezuka heard a 'wow' escape from Ryou who was still beside his father at the table. And an impressed noise also came from the bride who seemed awed by the large diamond. Clearly, even though she was aware that her husband's fortune was not all come by through legal means she was not privy to the exact goods that left the mines. Or perhap this one had been sold before she was fully brought into the fold.

No matter. The reactions that the baron and his elder son was giving them was exactly the ones that Tezuka knew Atobe had been hoping for. Tezuka was impressed that the baron's face could actually become that pale seeing as how red it had been from the vast quantities of alcohol he had consumed at the party.

Unsurprisingly, the reaction hadn't gone unnoted by the guests who were watching everything intently. A soft babble of conversation was springing up around them, wondering why the two men seemed so shocked and horrified by the gift. It couldn't be that bad if the bride seemed so entranced after all.

"Do you not like it?" Atobe asked once the gossip had reached a suitable level. "We went to great efforts to retrieve this for you. It comes, as you know, from the mines in which we entrusted to you."

"I-it is more than we can accept," The baron finally sputtered out.

Tezuka's eyes flicked to Atobe for just a moment and saw that he was making a look as if he was truly considering the words and then his gaze turned steely again. Tezuka's body braced for action. He somehow felt that Atobe's next words would be the catalyst of the evening.

"True. You're not at all worthy of this gift. In fact," Atobe paused and the room silenced, with guests at the back practically leaning forward to try and hear more of what was to come. "We believe that you are no longer worthy of our trust or the lands we have granted you and your family."

Tezuka's fingers hovered near his pommel but so far it was only gasps and shocked exclamations that made their way to Atobe.

"You can't!" Shishido's brother said as he leapt to his feet. "The lands have been in our family for generations. The mines have been with us for just as long!"

"Brother, sit down," Shishido said and gestured furiously to get him back in his seat. He looked between his family and Atobe and then at Oshitari. He frowned as he took in how protectively Oshitari was kneeling beside him and then back at Atobe.

"Your majesty, there must be some mistake," Shishido said. Though Tezuka felt like his voice didn't have the usual strength and conviction that was usual for the man.

"We wish that were the case. We do not like being made the fool. We had hoped that it was a mistake or perhaps a small error in judgement. But we've been investigating and found that this deceit has grown over the years far out of the easy view of our capital. But we are here to remind the Shishidos and everyone else that our reach stretches to all ends of our kingdom and we demand your loyalty."

There was a long beat of silence that stretched across the room as Atobe's voice and words sunk in. Then suddenly, several people made to escape from the room while the baron picked up a large carving knife that was on the table.

"You leave us up here to waste away and ignore requests for assistance! Of course we'll sell off your diamonds to pay for things that need to be done," The baron yelled before he stood up, causing his chair to clatter roughly behind him.

Tezuka trusted the guards to subdue those running away and instead moved to stand closer to Atobe who of course trusted his guards completely and didn't for a moment look like he was planning on doing something sensible like stop antagonizing the man with a weapon.

"Father, no!" Shishido protested but then quieted when his father turned a hard look on him.

"I sent you to him to help us. But all you've done is become a pampered capital courtier. You have no idea how hard it is up here."

"Of course I know!" Shishido tried to shrug off Oshitari's arm so he could stand properly and get closer to his father but instead Oshitari tugged him back into his seat. There was a small struggle but then Shishido huffed at Oshitari before turning back to his father. "I'm not unaware of the hardships. But look around, Father. This is not the banquet of someone who is suffering."

"Because we've found a way to help ourselves," The baron countered.

Tezuka noted that Shishido's brother and wife, while looking an odd mix of shocked and angry remained wisely silent in their seats. If they went willingly with the guard, that could only help in the coming trials.

The baron however was only digging himself an even deeper hole. The alcohol was likely not helping with his judgement.

Shishido sputtered at that and Atobe easily took over the conversation. Though Tezuka had wished he hadn't called attention back to himself. All it would take was one hand gesture from the king to call forth all of his guards into action and to arrest all those involved.

"And only yourselves. Do not think that just because you had us escorted through a carefully selected route that we didn't explore rest of your territory. We have found it wanting in the villages, the fields, and the roads. We cannot see at all where all of our money has been going except to the alcohol you drink and the coin your son gambles away. Or perhaps it was all the exotic animals and fancy clothes bought for your daughter-in-law to ensure the successful marriage."

Tezuka's eyes flickered back to Atobe again for a second. He was impressed with the way that Atobe had reminded all there that the Baron was not a good caretaker and that the three about to be arrested were all at fault. It truly was an admirable skill to sum up everything so elegantly and in a way the room could easily absorb.

This was not about a king being vindictive over lost funds. This was about a king feeling betrayed at not only the Shishidos' lack of loyalty to him and the crown but by their lack of caring to the people they were supposed to help protect and serve.

"How dare you?!" The baron yelled, the colour fully back in his face now as anger made him bright red. At least he did not seem apt to jump over the table and lunge for Atobe. Tezuka stayed vigilante just in case he tried or attempted to throw the knife.

"Of course we dare. We will not tolerate the likes of you defiling our strong nobility. You are stripped from your title. And be thankful we do not strike your whole family from the ranks of nobles," Atobe said.

The bride and groom looked hopeful for a moment until Atobe turned his stony glare at them. "You are also stripped of your titles. Do not think to profit from this night. No. It is only our dear attendant who we trust beyond all doubt that we gift the title of baron to along with all the lands, property and mining rights."

Shishido stared at him in shock for a long moment before Oshitari gave him a small nudge. Shishido gave as deep a bow as he could from his seat though it was clear from the stiff actions that he was still trying to take everything in.

Finally, Atobe gave the signal and the guards swiftly moved as one to take all those guilty, or suspected of guilt, into their custody. They hesitated with the former baron but after a few tense words from both his sons he relented and laid down his knife. Everything moved smoothly after that and as the last prisoner left the room escorted by the guard, Tezuka finally let himself relax slightly.

"Baron Shishido," Atobe called once the chaos had settled.

Again, Shishido took a moment to respond but that was probably going to happen for some time until he was used to his new title.

This time when Shishido moved to rise to his feet, Oshitari allowed him.

"Yes, my king?"

"We wish to thank you for your long years of service. We would keep you in our direct service if we could. But you are needed here with your people to set things right. You will no longer be at our side, be still hope to trust you with all the duties that this new service to us entails," Atobe said formally. Tezuka was sure that very few people in the room could see the sadness in Atobe's face as he did so.

Shishido squeezed his hands into tight fists and Tezuka wouldn't even begin to try and guess what emotions were swirling through the young man. But at least he knew that no matter what they were, they would not manifest in a way that would harm Atobe.

"I am forever at your service, your majesty," Shishido said and showed off his court polish by giving a beautiful bow.

"We are pleased to hear this. Because we have set a large task for you here and are about to make it an even greater one. We have lands that remain neglected and uncared for next to your own and would like to entrust you with their oversight. Of course, the additional lands will come with a title that reflects the new responsibilities," Atobe paused for dramatic effect and to give Shishido time to answer appropriately.

"I would be most honoured to accept any tasks you have for me, your majesty," Shishido said with another small bow.

"Good. Then from this day forth, you shall be known as Lord Shishido, Viscount of Yamazora"

Oshitari started the applause but it was quickly taken up by all those present. While hearing of the treasons and seeing the arrests must have been shocking for everyone, there was still something to be celebrated. Those living in the area were probably happy to have a new leader and the nobility who had come for the wedding were always in favour of new gossip.

"We will talk with you more before we head back to the capital. For now, we will leave you to attend to your guests. Goodnight lord Shishido."

"Goodnight, your majesty." Shishido bowed once more.

Atobe turned to leave and everyone still in the room hastily moved to their feet and gave the appropriate bow to their king. After the night's warning, it seemed everyone was eager to show they were still loyal. That was just as Atobe had planned it.

"Our lord advisor. We would have you with us," Atobe said as he passed him.

"Of course, your majesty." Tezuka made eye contact with Oshitari, Shishido was far too shell-shocked still to notice him, and gave a small bow. They would meet up later and discuss what happened after Atobe left. But for now, the king summoned and so he went.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

After the king had left it was quite obvious the celebration was over and most of the remaining guests left swiftly. Shishido was infinitely grateful that Oshitari had taken over hosting duties and hurried the stragglers out the door with all the politeness that Shishido knew he couldn't be bothered to muster.

It was all he could do to stay by Oshitari's side and smile and nod politely. Really, his thoughts were miles away and he was nowhere close to processing what had just happened.

But now that all the guests were left, Oshitari said he would manage the servants and the clean up and suggested Shishido try to relax. Shishido had nodded and had taken five steps out the door toward his room when he realized that he couldn't let Oshitari handle everything for him.

He was a Viscount now. Not that he could really believe that yet but he had to start acting like it. So first thing was first. Go to his father's office and see what he could find and figure out about running a household and all of the land and the people on it that now were his responsibilities.

To think, just last week his greatest responsibility had been making sure all of the king's clothes were cleaned and hung up how he liked.

He managed to hold it together until he was behind the closed doors of his father's office and then let out a sound that was half between laughter and crying as he looked around it. This couldn't be real. He didn't want it to be real.

What had his family been thinking?! He scowled and wiped away at his eyes and stormed to his father's desk. He looked at the alcohol in the decanter and the crystal glasses and started reaching for it. A drink or five would certainly help make this night easier to handle.

He had gotten as far as touching one of the glasses when he pulled back his hand with a scowl. No. He refused to be anything like his father or brother. He wouldn't deny he enjoyed a drink with dinner or when Oshitari and him shared stories in front of the fire but maybe he would give it up.

Best not to risk it. Perhaps there was something in his blood that made Shishidos complete idiots if they didn't keep strict control over their vices.

Shishido felt another mix of laughter and tears bubbling up inside of him and promptly sat down and started shuffling through papers. Best to distract himself before he broke down.

Most of the papers on the desk were about the wedding which made sense. There was correspondence wishing the couple their best, lists of things that were to be brought in for the ceremony and banquet and then paper after paper of expenses. Gods above, how could his family had spent so much on a wedding? He knew they were spending more than they should but this was just reckless. He hoped that all the bills had already been paid and the king wouldn't expect him to refund the royal treasury of the money that was owed through his family's deception.

He stared at the papers again hoping they would be less damning the second time through but it just got worse. He tugged on the desk drawers, not overly surprised to find them locked. But he wasn't going to risk going out there and asking his father's butler about it. And he definitely wasn't going to try and track down where his father was being held right now. He didn't trust himself not to strangle the man.

He cursed and stood from the desk, the chair crashing down onto the ground behind him. He looked back at it, thought about righting it, but decided that it made him feel better to leave it.

He stomped over to the overly fancy sofa that was covered with far too many cushions and wondered why his father thought it was necessary. You couldn't even sit on the stupid thing. He picked up a pillow and tossed it aside. The next one he threw with a bit more energy behind it, taking out his frustrations on the soft object. The next pillow hit one of the paintings on the wall and it wobbled a moment before falling from the wall and onto the pillow below it.

He stared at the downed painting for a moment and then the empty spot on the wall. His first reaction was that he should fix it before his father found out. Then he remembered his father had betrayed the king and was being held for treason and he no longer had any say on what happened in this house.

Shishido cursed some more and let out his frustrations by throwing the other pillows around and then by abusing a few books and papers. He had just picked up a vase that was on a side table and was just winding up to throw it at the stone fireplace when sudden clarity struck him.

He was poor.

He was a viscount and he had no money.

His family had left him a pauper. One that was still expected to pay taxes, fix roads, feed his people and all the other things a viscount had to do.

He sunk into the couch that was now free of all of it's spare cushions and held the vase safely in both hands. He'd have to sell everything. Could he rent out the manor without the king thinking it odd? Would anyone come to visit him if he was staying in the small garden home that his grandmother had retired into when she found the manor too cumbersome to get around in?

He cursed again and sniffled. He tried to wipe moisture out of his eyes but only succeeded in bumping his nose painfully with the vase. He was cursing again and not just because of the dire situation he now found himself in but because his nose was also hurting.

Of course, this had to be the moment Oshitari walked in on him. He supposed it was better than when he was trashing the place… maybe. It's not as if he had tidied up the evidence of that yet.

He was so lame.

As a second son of a minor baron he was free to do whatever he wanted. And as an attendant to the king, he knew he made an appealing lover to a bisexual marquess who enjoyed being in the center of court intrigue and gossip.

But now? He was a broke viscount in charge of a little piece of the country so far away that nobody ever thought to visit unless the king dragged everyone out here to research treason. Oshitari was too much of a gentleman to dump him tonight or probably even in the next few days. But Shishido was sure that when the man approaching him now left for the capital at the end of the week, it would be with the understanding that he was not coming back and that their liaison was over.

He sniffled again but at least remembered to shift the vase into one hand before attempting to wipe tears away again.

"Why are you holding the vase?" Oshitari asked as he knelt in front of him.

It was nice of Oshitari to not mention the chaos of the room. "I'm too poor to break it when throwing a fit." He wasn't the king. He couldn't afford to replace everything he destroyed whenever he felt like being a drama queen.

"What do you mean?" Oshitari's voice was so calm and even that Shishido felt himself relaxing a little. Certainly enough to let Oshitari ease the vase out of his hands and put it back safely on a table.

"I was looking at the ledgers and bills that were on my father's desk. We overspent on the wedding. And I don't know if Ato-" He cut himself off. He was no longer the king's attendant and despite the king's words he wasn't really sure just how much of the man's favour he had right now. "The king may expect payments in retribution for the diamonds that were sold illegally. Even if I hate everything in this room I have to see if I can sell it."

"Oh, my dear Ryou." Oshitari sat down beside him on the couch and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him in. "It's not like that. Atobe won't punish you for your family's misdeeds. You're innocent, why should you bear the burden?"

Shishido nodded a little against Oshitari's chest at what he said and then tried to sneak a hand up between them so he could make sure he wasn't getting snot and tears on the man's beautiful jacket. "I'm still poor unless these bills have been paid, which I doubt. I'm not sure how long I'll be in debt. And don't you dare offer up your own money."

It was one thing to accept silly gifts from Oshitari or let him pay for dinner but entirely another to accept charity for the faults of his family. Besides, he had some savings, perhaps that would be enough to tide the debtors over until more funds could be raised.

"Is it so wrong to want to see you safe and secure in your new title, Ryou?"

Fingers deftly untied his hair ribbon and let it drop to the floor before carding through his long strands. It felt nice but Shishido wasn't going to give in that easily. Even if it would be easier if his pride would shut up and let him.

"No. But I won't let you do it financially…" His voice trailed off as he realized something that he should have earlier. Oshitari was calm. He trusted Oshitari to be his rock and be a calming force when he was riled up and in need of venting. But this was so much more than that. Even at the banquet, Oshitari hadn't seemed surprised by the charges laid against his family. Or that he was now the new baron… well viscount.

"You knew!" He hadn't meant to yell that, especially with Oshitari's ear right near his mouth but he was too shocked to control his voice.

Oshitari pulled back from him a little so they could better look at each other, and possibly save himself from going deaf in one ear, but kept both of his hands firmly on Shishido's shoulders. "I did."

Shishido felt a momentary pang of betrayal, something he had felt a lot this night, and also a flare of anger. "Why?" He demanded though with all the answers he wanted he wasn't exactly which one he was asking for first.

"The king ordered me not to say anything," Oshitari said. His right hand slid up Shishido's neck so his thumb could caress his jaw. It was a soothing and apologetic gesture.

That combined with the words sapped away Shishido's anger and left him just feeling tired. He couldn't stay angry at Oshitari for being loyal to the king. He would have done the same if the positions were reversed. "How long?"

"After you had already left for here. I was bored and curious. So I finally looked into what it was the king and Tezuka were being so secretive about," Oshitari said. He then glanced away toward the wall when he spoke again. "I may have attempted to strangle Atobe in my anger."

Shishido stared at Oshitari and watched as his cheeks coloured slightly and then laughed. He loved that Oshitari was his unasked for knight. That he would strangle their sovereign in anger for him. Obviously Atobe and Oshitari had quickly resolved things but it was nice to know how much Oshitari cared.

Shishido turned his head and kissed Oshitari's thumb. "Thank you. But I think it best to not try to murder his majesty again."

"Duly noted. I'm not sure I want to risk Tezuka again anyway. He is awfully protective of the king."

"You say that like I wouldn't threaten to stab someone who was strangling you. Of course he'd take objection to someone trying to kill his lover." Really, for being such a romantic, Oshitari was sometimes a little strange about things.

"You're right. And I adore your scrappy ways and that you're willing to stab people on my behalf." Oshitari leaned in and gave him a light kiss.

Shishido's mouth was just quirking up into a smile when reality crashed back into him. Viscount. Poor. The far reaches of the kingdom.

"Yuushi…" Shishido started and then stopped. If Oshitari was too much of a gentleman to break things off tonight, then perhaps Shishido should just savour what they still had while he could.

"Yes?"

Shishido almost asked Oshitari to stay the night and then pulled back the words before they could escape. Of course Oshitari was staying the night. All of his stuff was here and it was where he'd been staying the last few days. He didn't want to look any weaker and needy than he already did.

"Should I cut my hair?" He asked instead.

"What? Why?" Oshitari sounded truly surprised and baffled as he reached out to touch Shishido's hair.

"It's not very lordy of me. I need to be taken seriously and be seen as mature enough to lead."

"And that can't be done as you are now?"

"This isn't the capital. We aren't really frou frou fancy type of people out here. I might grow a beard or a moustache, too."

"Can you even do that?" Oshitari asked. His fingers brushed against Shishido's cheek and he was just tilting his head into the touch when he realized Oshitari's insult.

"Hey!" He yelled in indignation and poked at Oshitari's sides.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It's just the most I've ever seen on you was a patchy five o'clock shadow and that was after I kept you captive in my bedroom for the whole weekend."

Oshitari's eyes flashed dark and full of lust as he clearly remembered just what they did that weekend. Even Shishido's breath staggered a bit as he too remembered what went on.

Oshitari was far too good at distracting him. And annoyingly reminding him that he might still be a decade or two away from actually being able to grow anything decent on his face. "Fine. But I still think I should get a cut. Blend in more."

"I really don't think it's hair that makes the difference between a good and bad lord. It's what is inside of a person that matters. And don't roll your eyes. I know how it sounds lame but it's true. And after all this time with your brother and father leading them and leading them poorly, perhaps they'll appreciate the visual reminder that you'll be different."

This time when Oshitari cupped his face he did lean into the touch and let out a sigh. It was still hard hearing just how far off the path his family had gone but he would set the Shishido legacy back on track. "Maybe… I could use every advantage I can get. I never expected to be a lord of anything."

Being a courtier at the palace and in direct service to the king was more than he ever expected as a second son of a minor baron and so had never trained in many of the things he'd have to learn over the next year or so.

"You'll make a fabulous lord, Ryou. You have the determination to succeed and the heart to ensure you're doing it all for the right reasons."

The fingers slid through his hair and Shishido wasn't surprised when Oshitari's hand stopped at the back of his head and used it to pull him in for a kiss. His eyes fluttered closed and he let Oshitari try to kiss his worries away. It was such a gentle and loving kiss that Shishido thought Oshitari might just succeed if he kept it up. But of course the kiss couldn't go on forever.

"Besides, I'm rather partial to the long hair. I'd miss having something to play with… or hold onto while you-"

"That's enough of that," Shishido said quickly abruptly cutting Oshitari off. It didn't matter that he also liked Oshitari tugging on it while they had sex or using it to command him during a blowjob, there was no need to say those things out loud in his father's office.

Oshitari chuckled and then pulled him in for another kiss quickly silencing any more protests about Oshitari and his dirty mind and mouth. "You're only allowed to cut it all off if that's what you really want."

"It's not," Shishido said and then let his head fall against Oshitari's shoulder. "And it probably wouldn't actually help anyway… I just feel a bit lost right now." It hurt his pride to admit that. And if it was anyone else with him, he wouldn't have said it. But it was Oshitari, he trusted that man above all others - even with his pride.

"You won't have to do this alone. I'm sure the capital will survive without me for a few more weeks. And then I'll write you daily. I won't let you miss a single piece of intrigue," Oshitari said, his hand was back to petting Shishido's hair.

Shishido snorted into Oshitari's shoulder. He really didn't need every piece of intrigue. Just the juiciest stuff would be okay. Besides, he had no idea if he'd have the time to reply to daily letters, or if he'd even be able to afford that. The cost of hiring that many couriers to dash across the kingdom was enough to make him cringe.

"Daily seems a bit much, Yuushi…"

"Fine. How about twice a week? And if you're willing to put the courier up for the night, I will ensure they'll be willing to carry your missives back to me," Oshitari said. And somehow he had neatly answered Shishido's hesitations without them needing to be voiced. He sometimes swore that Oshitari could read minds or do magic but all the books he looked at said that such things were purely fantastical and not real.

"Okay. I'm sure I can feed and house a courier for a night a few times a month." He wasn't even sure where he would be housed in the coming months but he was sure he'd still find a bed for a courier. Especially one that carried anything from Oshitari.

"Good. I promise not to give up on us if you don't, Ryou. But even I can't sustain a long distance relationship on my own."

Shishido stiffened under Oshitari's hand but the other didn't seem to pay any attention to it and just kept up his soothing strokes of fingers through his hair. They had danced around what they were for ages and let it be implied between them for even longer. Shishido wasn't oblivious to the mutual feelings between them. And it was impossible to forget what it meant to ask the king permission to date. But this was the first time Oshitari had come out and said they were in a relationship.

He felt his heart skip a few beats at the thought. Dating seemed fun and harmless. A relationship seemed so much more substantial and long lasting. And that sounded really good right about now when he was facing such an uncertain future. "Good. I enjoy being in a relationship with you… even if it's going to be a long distance one now." The long distance thing would definitely make it difficult to enjoy his favourite part of dating Oshitari but maybe it would help them deepen their understanding of each other since they wouldn't always be getting distracted by sex.

Still… he'd really miss the sex. Oshitari could make his toes curl in pleasure every time.

"We'll figure it out. I'm sure once things settle down here you'll be able to visit the capital. Or I can visit again in a few months."

Shishido nodded. It would of course be easier if he didn't live so far from the capital on the borders of the kingdom but he knew such things wouldn't stop Oshitari from doing what he wanted. And as long as everyone was fed and clothed, Shishido was sure he could scrape together enough funds to visit Oshitari… maybe. It would certainly be strong incentive to do his best with the accounts.

"Oh… that reminds me. I was tasked by the king earlier to deliver this to you once the spectacle was done. I promise I haven't read it." Oshitari gently pushed Shishido off his shoulder and dug in his inside jacket pocket for an envelope that was only slightly rumpled from being in there for so long. But the seal, the king's official one, was still in perfect condition.

Shishido studied it for a moment, worried that whatever was in it might mean more drastic changes to his life. But then he realized he was being completely lame and that Atobe could hardly flip his life upside down anymore than he already had.

As he cracked open the seal and slid the letter out of the envelope, Oshitari not so casually leaned in. Shishido smiled at that and closed the remaining distance to give him a quick kiss.

"What was that for?" Oshitari asked though he seemed pleased by it.

"Just impressed you managed to make it this far without being nosey about the letter." Maybe it was because Oshitari knew that Shishido would share it all with him anyway.

"I'm not that bad."

"Yes, you are. But it's sort of cute so I'll forgive you."

"Just read the letter, Ryou." Oshitari swung an arm around Shishido and once more was leaning in close to read the letter with him.

He wasn't more than a few sentences in when he dropped the letter down to his lap and looked at Oshitari. "Seriously?"

"He wouldn't joke about this. Even less so since it was done under his royal seal and not his personal one," Oshitari said. He picked up the abandoned envelope with the royal seal on it just to remind Shishido he was telling the truth.

Shishido skimmed through the letter again and then looked at Oshitari. "I'm not poor."

"You're not poor."

"He's sending experts to advise me and others on what to do… I'll be able to take care of everyone."

"You didn't think he would leave you to flounder, did you? I'm quite sure he would have offered the experts to your father if he had shown any inclination to wanting to improve. The king does care, Ryou."

"I know," Shishido said. He had seen first hand just how much Atobe did care. And not just about other nobles and people he saw every day. He cared about all of the people in his kingdom and was always trying to make things better even when the world worked against him.

Oshitari nodded and drew Shishido in closer to him to offer comfort and support.

"This is so far beyond caring though… no royal taxes for five years. So I can use that money for the land and the people and on all the projects I'm sure that have been piling up. This -"

"Is exactly what a loyal subject deserves when he's tasked with such a duty so suddenly," Oshitari said, cutting him off.

"Maybe…" Shishido said. He scanned the letter again, just to make sure that the words really said what he thought. It was still so hard to believe. "He mentions a gift…"

"He does. And it seems he knows me as well as you." Oshitari gave him a quick kiss before reaching inside of his jacket and pulling a velvet pouch out. It jangled noticeably and Shishido suspected what he'd find inside.

"He paid me enough as his attendant," Shishido said as he took the pouch. Not only was he given a beautiful room in whatever palace they stayed in, he also was fed delicious food, had a clothing budget and was paid a stipend on top of that. He would never dream of demanding more.

"Freely given, Ryou. It would be bad form to decline a gift from a king, friend or not."

Shishido nodded and handed the letter over to Oshitari so he had both free to open the pouch. He expected money. He did not expect it to be as much as it was. The coins, while not many, were the highest denomination in the kingdom. Used wisely, he was sure he could run the household and keep everyone fed for a year while he figured out how to get his lands and mines producing a proper income.

"Definitely not poor," Oshitari whispered against Shishido's ear. A shiver of pleasure raced down his back. Even when Oshitari was just saying mundane things it turned him on when he said it like that.

He brushed him away a little, not quite ready to let himself be distracted just yet. "I'm sure these experts he's sending will help me figure out how to best use this." He carefully put the coins back in the bag and set it, along with the letter on the side table beside the vase.

"Just make sure you use some of it for yourself. Nobody, not even the townsfolk, expect you to starve and wear threadbear fashion just to do ten years worth of recovery in one."

Shishido wanted to protest that the needs of the many should come before fancy meals and clothes but instead just nodded. Once he better understood his duties and the bookkeeping he'd better understand what he could afford and what was expected him as a viscount. He might never have enjoyed fancy balls but he couldn't deny that he liked rich foods and sampling delicacies from around the kingdom and beyond. It would be nice to have a few coins spared for some exotic spices or chocolate.

Though he wondered if he'd be able to eat the rich treat without thinking about Oshitari had melted some and used a brush to paint words and pictures all over his body before licking them off.

Or even worse, thinking about how salty and sweet the chocolate tasted when he had taken what was left in the bowl and poured it over Oshitari's arousal to eat that way. He squirmed a little on the couch as the thoughts made his arousal spike.

"Just what are you thinking about, Ryou?" Oshitari asked in a low husky voice that he mostly used in the bedroom. Clearly he hadn't missed the direction that Shishido's thoughts had turned to.

"Chocolate," Shishido answered honestly.

The smirk and dark smouldering look Oshitari gave him made him think that answering honestly was the right thing to do.

"I'm sure the kitchen has some leftover from the party. Shall I go see if I can acquire some?"

Shishido wanted that, he realized. Whatever Oshitari and him did with that chocolate and through rest of the night was sure to keep him content and warm through the hard months ahead but he didn't feel quite ready to abandon his father's office yet.

Oshitari must have noticed his hesitation because he leaned in and gave him a soft reassuring kiss. "I'll bring some chocolate to your room. Take your time. The chocolate and I will be waiting for you when you're ready."

There was another soft kiss and then Oshitari was pulling away, his fingers carefully carding through Shishido's long hair one last time.

"Thank you," Shishido breathed out as he watched the handsome man he loved be so understanding and gentle with him.

"My pleasure, viscount Shishido." Oshitari leaned down and gave him one last kiss, this one promising sinful things when Shishido eventually joined him in the bedroom.

He watched Oshitari leave and then gave a sigh. He had a lot to think about. But things didn't seem quite as dire as they did before Oshitari had come in. Some of that was the effect the lord had on him but the bigger part was Atobe's letter and gifts.

Shishido would definitely make sure to visit the king before he left to thank him properly in person. He reached for the letter and read through it once more before putting it back in the envelope and sliding it into his pocket. The bag of money followed and then his gaze trailed around the room.

There would be time enough to start learning things in the morning. He was sure, or at least hopeful, that nobody would expect miracles of him on his first few days as viscount.

For now, he had a lover waiting for him upstairs and no family to worry about overhearing anything improper. That thought came with a twinge of guilt and anger but he was sure Oshitari could have him forgetting about anything but pleasure in no time.

Standing, he gave the messy room one last look and was just about to leave when he instead paused and then reached for the the silly, overpriced vase he had nearly destroyed earlier. It would look nice with some flowers from the banquet in it on his bedroom dresser. Somewhere he'd see it before he slept and first thing when he woke.

A reminder and a promise to himself. He would be a good viscount and he wouldn't fail his king nor his lover. He would move past his family's failings and surpass everyone's expectations.


	16. What Lies Beneath - Letter From a King

Note: Atobe's letter didn't fit in neatly into the main story since Oshitari and Shishido read it together. But I thought it was worth creating and posting. So here is the letter that Shishido received from Atobe.

-0-0-0-0-

My Dearest Viscount,

Ryou, as your sovereign we cannot apologize for what must be done to protect our kingdom and the people within it. But as your friend, I would apologize for keeping you in the dark about the investigations and arresting your family members on what should have been a happy day. But even as your friend, I cannot, and will not apologize for taking action against those who have betrayed me. I hope that in time, you will not only understand but accept this.

For now, we would like to congratulate you on your elevated status. To be a peer of the realm is a high honour though it is not without its burdens. As a new viscount, we will be sending some experts from the capital to help advise you. We offer this service not because we do not trust you to do an excellent job as a viscount but because we understand the difficult task we have set you and that you have not trained for this possibility. So we wish to offer you every assistance.

To that end, we are waiving any debts that your family owes the crown. It was your brother and father who accrued those debts and so it is them that will repay them. And for the next five years, we will not collect taxes for the royal coffers from your lands. This is, of course with the stipulation that at least 80% of those funds that would have been collected are invested back into the properties and land in which we have bestowed you. We will expect written reports at least once a season detailing all that you have accomplished and plan to do in the future.

These letters are not only so that we can show the court that the lands are being well looked after but so that we may know personally how you are faring.

Though you can no longer work for us and be by our side. We hope, that we may forge a new bond as King and viscount in the coming years and work together in new ways.

As you find your way as a young viscount, know that there is no harm or shame in asking friends or fellow nobility for guidance or advice. Despite what some like to believe, nobody started knowing everything.

Though it may be too soon to say this, and perhaps we should not be the ones to do so, but we feel we must. Family is important. Even when it seems they have abandoned and betrayed you, it does not mean they cannot be redeemed. It is our hope that given the chance to reform that those involved in this plot will choose the path of redemption and loyalty. Only time may tell what they will do with themselves now that they've been caught. We will not interfere with your communications if you chose to reach out to them.

And finally, I once more shed the persona of king to thank you for the years of friendship and service you have given me. I know as my attendant you were well looked after in numerous ways but I would offer you one last parting gift. Not form a king to his loyal subject but as a friend who will dearly miss your company and cutting remarks about the courtiers that try to hard to play the game.

Yuushi, who I suspect is reading over your shoulder, has my gift for you to thank you for everything. And no, you cannot return it or refuse to accept it. Is a gift freely given with the knowledge you will use it better than most.

We wish you all the best with this new start in your life.

With love,

AK


End file.
